Peter Principle is a concept in the field management that was developed by a Canadian educator, Laurence J. Peter and it entails the fact that in hierarchical organizations, employees get appointed for their competency but with time, they get promoted higher and higher. But as they climb the ladder higher, they grow more and more incompetent to the new set of roles that come with the promotions.
It is the principle of an organization according to which every employee within a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence. Peter Principle refers to the people who are promoted to the level of their incompetence and stick there.
For example, if an introverted individual was appointed as a highly reputable UI/UX Designer but when s/he does very well at their job and in time, deserves a promotion. As they get promoted to the position of the Head of the Creative Department that may also oversee Content Writing in which s/he lacks any idea, the competency at their job starts to drop.
After the second promotion, s/he may be promoted to a managerial position in the company but they may struggle to cope with the constant pressure to deal with people and have no designing work to do in which they are very competent. The competence to do one’s job drops as they get promotions and that is the Peter Principle.
Use of the Term in Sentences
- Though the Peter Principle first started as a sarcasm inscribed in the book by Laurence J. Peter, the spot-on real-life implications gave it credibility.