Job, montony, competency, and carelessness
By vanny
@vandana7 (99024)
India
July 5, 2018 1:11am CST
I am no management student. But long ago I came across a sentence by Lawrence J. Peter, which as per Wikipedia reads "an employee is promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another. "
You know what, I agree with it.
I have noticed this in me as well.
Monotony in job can make people careless, as well as a job that they are new to, and have grown up the ladder, gaining confidence till they become overconfident and work in positions that require serious skills.
So did the bank official. While I have won the case, and it is only matter of time when I will get what I will get, I am feeling sorry for the guy. Same room, same set of assignments, for ages.
Is there a solution? Attention span varies as per age, personal problems, inability to learn new things because of intellectual limitations or whatever, and of course health. Must the bank official be penalized that much for his lapse?
Agreed similar judgments have been given in the past, and therefore, what I have asked for is reasonable by those standards.
Having said that, what does the heart say or is it mind or conscience. It asks me have you been an efficient machine throughout your life? Have you made no mistakes? Agreed I made those, and was apologetic and honest about them. Unlike this person. But I want to be merciful. I want to glide out of life gracefully.
8 people like this
9 responses
@arunima25 (85733)
• Bangalore, India
5 Jul 18
Yes. Monotony does peep in with passing time in anything in life and job is one of them. But you can not let that happen because it is your profession and you chose it. Try keeping yourself updated and take your job as a passion.....the monotony can be avoided. Have little breaks to increase your efficiency.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (85733)
• Bangalore, India
5 Jul 18
@vandana7 I agree on that
With job cuttings going on Banking sector in India they are overwhelmed and it is definitely effecting them personally as well as professionally.
With job cuttings going on Banking sector in India they are overwhelmed and it is definitely effecting them personally as well as professionally.1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
5 Jul 18
The problem is that companies don't teach people to manage others. An employee does well at their job and is rewarded with people to look after and given no guidance in how to do that. I see it all the time at work. Big teams with leaders who would prefer to lock themselves in a dark room and ignore them.
2 people like this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Jul 18
The Peter principle states that in a hierarchy people tend to rise up to their level of incompetence. You pose a very interesting proposition that monotony and carelessness are the cause and not the effect of this incompetence. One would have thought the inability or unwillingness to acquire a new set of skills would be the reason hindering promotion to a higher level.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (99024)
• India
5 Jul 18
Monotony does lead to inefficiency, as does giving a job that is below the intellectual level of the person. I am not saying it is not inability or unwillingness to acquire a new set of skills that results in rising up the ladder. They too do contribute to carelessness, but monotony may have a role to play. Basically, all the procedures we have are man made. God did not design us for these. So it does not come naturally to us. Unwillingness to learn possibly emerges from a level of feeling comfortable with older methods. I think that is where the promotion needs to stop.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
7 Jul 18
@vandana7 _Carelessness is a character trait while inefficiency is the inability to produce the desired results. The first require a change of attitude while the later a set of new skills or knowledge.
Granted cognitive skills are starting to play an important role in the workplace because being a team player seem to be favored by management and while I agree that monotony can lead to carelessness, I find it hard to reconcile this humdrum state to being a major issue of inefficiency because it is a situation that can be corrected with proper motivation and has nothing to do with incompetence.
@vandana7 (99024)
• India
5 Jul 18
Yeah...but it does not feel that good when I have to take monies from somebody else's pockets. Basically, I am not money minded. I don't give easily, I don't take easily. I just like that kind of state. Do you think I am weird? Don't tell me, I know you think I am weird, right? :(
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
14 Jul 18
Some managers are clearly not able to manage effectively. You need to be reliable, knowledgeable, personable, kind but firm and able to lead. Most importantly give praise where praise is due. Some simply can not manage!
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (99024)
• India
7 Jul 18
But what I wanted to say is,
a. There is resistance to learn new things or improve skills once a person reaches that comfort level though higher position and pay remains desirable;
b. There is often an increased degree of carelessness at comfort level, especially if the person is left too long there;
c. There is fear at new level and with new skills leading to being flustered and errors;
d. Promoting a person quickly or in some mandatory period can lead to overconfidence and carelessness;
e. Carelessness is also on account of job being below the intellect and capabilities of the person.
I was trying to analyze why or how the concerned person became careless about my document. It could be "c". Then mercy is due.
1 person likes this
