Sayagyi Prof. Pe Toe of Mandalay Medical University gave me a book once named The Peter Principle.
I was then a fresh postgraduate, having an earned an M.Med.Sc degree in Physiology. The book was a satirical one that people like U Pe Toe enjoyed greatly with the backdrop being Burmese Socialist Programme Party in their high noon. The book was captivating and I wanted to steal the book. I wanted U Pe Toe to forget about it but I returned the book, after Sayagyi asked for it twice.
Chapter 1,2
The book said: “People in a hierarchy tend to rise to their level of incompetence “and in fourteen chapters, it tried to elucidate the veracity of this pronouncement. It totally got me in. Those were in the days of PaPaKa: do not know, no stock, finished stock days with salesgirls at the counter who neglected you as though you did not exist. Doctors sought the signature of drug store managers just to get some antibiotics.
A teacher was competent at educating children and as assistant principal, he was good at dealing with parents and other teachers. However, as a principal, he was poor at maintaining good relations with the school board and the superintendent. A general was capable of dealing with ordinary soldiers but as Field Marshall, he did not know how to liaise with politicians and the Field Marshalls of his country’s allies.
Chapter 3-Pseudo-promotion
You probably know the meaning of the term “kicked upstairs”. It is a move from an unproductive position to another coined by Peter and Hull as “percussive sublimation”. When a person is moved and given a longer job title, they call it “lateral arabesques”. Management wise, this is a good move since it was a promotion and improved staff morale.
This was all in a hierarchy whereby competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, was in the eye of the beholder: the beholder being the immediate superior, who valued internal consistency (follow the rules) more than efficient service. Incompetence was a barrier to further promotion but super competence was grounds for dismissal.
Chapter 4,5
Push and pull in getting promotion
“Push” means the employer’s own efforts and abilities. “Pull” meant accelerated promotion brought about by the efforts of an employee’s mentors or patrons. Pull was far more effective.
Chapter 6,7,8,9
The book explained that “good followers do not become good leaders”. With the “The Peter Principle” at work in government and politics, people reaching summit competence tend to find a higher level of competence in another hierarchy.
Chapter 10
Incompetence plus incompetence equals incompetence. Therefore, appointing an incompetent deputy to an incompetent boss is not the correct solution.
Chapter 11,12
Signs and symptoms of stress.
Chapter 13
Ignorance is sublime. Those who realized they are incompetent worked hard to the burnt-out stage. Those who did not realize they are incompetent, remain happy and healthy and did irrelevant duties for the proper duties of their post, and excelled at those.
Chapter 14
How to avoid promotion?
To refuse a promotion is not advisable so with “Creative incompetence”, pretend to be incompetent so that the promotion is not considered for you. In my experience, some Heads of departments in our medical universities prefer to be Heads of department rather than a DDG or DG.
Dr. Ye Win
Honorary Prof in Dept of Physiology
University of Medicine 2
