WHEN PROMOTIONS HAPPEN TO INCOMPETENT PEOPLE


	It's not easy to work with someone when you're distracted by
wondering how on earth the person reached his current position.  But
many of what one supervisor dubbed "walking Peter Principles" are
stalking the hallways of organizations throughout the country.  So if
you haven't yet faced the challenge of working with someone
promoted beyond his competence, the chances are good that
eventually you will.

	Incompetence comes in many shapes and sizes, all of them ill-
fitting.  Here are some general rules for getting wrongly promoted
people to fit in better:

	DON'T CONFUSE COMPETENCE WITH LIKING OR AGREEMENT.  If
your relationship with a fellow worker isn't producing adequate
results, examine the causes.  Don't let personality clashes or
differences in outlook obscure the person's abilities.  The better you
can recognize a co-worker's skills, the better you'll be able to work
together productively.

	AVOID MAKING NEGATIVE COMMENTS.  Any time you find
yourself remarking on the difficulty a co-worker would have in
finding his way out of a paper bag, hold on.  Negative comments
reinforce negative behavior.  And your opinion may cause others to
prejudge the worker unfairly.

	CLARIFY HOW TO SUCCEED.  Does your co-worker know your
expectations?  Have you agreed on priorities and specific steps to
achieve them?  Reinforce these points as unmistakably as you can.
That will prevent some foul-ups--and make it easier to diagnose the
cause of problems that happen anyway.

	DO YOUR BEST TO HELP.  Are there resources you could provide
sooner?  Would more frequent contact keep the co-worker on track?

	IDENTIFY AND MAXIMIZE THE PERSON'S STRENGTHS.  Ask
yourself and others, "What is this person good at?"  Don't be satisfied
with "Absolutely nothing."  Look hard for skills--and when you find
them, look for ways to put them to work.

	DON'T TAKE INCOMPETENCE PERSONALLY.  It's natural to feel
put upon when people perform poorly, but it won't help to lash out
at them.  Whether people are aware of their shortcomings or not,
harsh criticism can only make circumstances worse.  Keep your
comments constructive and related to performance.

	These tips are generally suitable for making the most out of the
least.  Now, here's how to finesse some specific cases:


THE MISTAKENLY PROMOTED EMPLOYEE

	One of the worst things you can realize as a supervisor is that
you have promoted someone you shouldn't have.

	To prevent this from happening, assign an employee some of
the duties of the new position--and see how he handles them--
before saying anything about promotion.

	If your organization allows, it's also a good idea to make
promotions provisional: to "acting chief clerk" or some other
appropriate title.  A trial period allows you, the employee, and the
rest of your staff to get comfortable with the promotion, and the
employee will lose less face if the change doesn't work out.

	If it's too late to withdraw a promotion, or if you've inherited
an incompetent worker, then your only good option is to do
everything in your power to help that worker succeed.  Monitor his
work closely to find out what mistakes he's making, then provide all
the coaching and training you can.  Make sure the worker
understands his responsibilities, and ask for his ideas about what
would make it possible to fulfill them.

	Should you take these steps only to find the worker's
performance still unsatisfactory, you'll have to face the necessity of
demoting or terminating him.


THE UNFORTUNATELY PROMOTED COLLEAGUE

	When you seriously doubt a colleague's competence, find out
how others are relating to her.  You may uncover a new perspective
on her ability--or a way of working around her.

	Try adjusting your roles so your colleague is able to contribute
something she's good at.  Focus on creating a partnership based on
equal effort, even if it means doing things differently than usual.

	If you can't work out a mutually accommodating arrangement
with a colleague, make sure you respect the chain of command by
presenting the problem to your manager, not hers.  Let your boss
know the details of how the other supervisor is hurting productivity
in your unit.  Explain what you've done to try to solve the problem.
And show your willingness to work with the person to make your
combined efforts succeed.


THE MISTAKENLY PROMOTED BOSS

	Obviously, this is a hypothetical situation.  There's no such
thing as an incompetent boss.  But what if there were?  And you
worked for him?

	First, think like a manager.  Determine for yourself what your
organization's objectives are, and decide what your department has
to do to fulfill them.  Develop other contacts in the organization
whose guidance and information can compensate for some of what
your boss fails to provide.

	Determine what need is filled by having your boss in his
position.  You may discover realities about your organization that will
help in your decision-making.  Also determine the needs that are
unfilled by your boss, and figure out how you can help meet them
without discrediting him.  It's important to remain supportive of
your boss no matter how dubious you are about his skills, because
it's never productive to have your boss perceive you as a threat.


THE SELF-DOUTING HARD@WORKER

	If you're in a position where it seems you've been promoted
beyond your competence, don't be too hard on yourself.  You must
have been pretty good at something to get where you are.  Seek help
from experienced members of your organization.  Identify areas
where you need improvement, and seek training.  Review your
priorities with your boss, and focus your efforts on the most
important ones.  Partial progress on some fronts is better than no
progress anywhere.

	Incompetent co-workers can try your patience.  But they also
provide an opportunity to show how good you really are.  When you
produce results from people others dismiss, you show your talent at
making the most of all the resources at your disposal.  And that's one
skill that really demonstrates your own competence.

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