Lack of career obstacles for the incompetent and over confident. - Blair McPherson

 

I believe most HR professionals would describe their role as removing obstacles to recruitment, development and retention of underrepresented groups. In relation to managers they work to have a more diverse group of managers, to smash the glass ceiling and to develop existing managers people skills. So it may sound perverse to argue for HR to turn this on its head and put the case for introducing obstacles. 

 

Most organisations would recognise that they still a long way to go to remove the obstacles that prevent management especially senior management being truly representative. The wrong people are too often promoted and the quality of management suffers.Research confirms what employees already know , good leadership is the exception not the norm. Considerable effort is being put into addressing the effects of unconscious bias, stereotypes and myths but progress is frustratingly slow. Time for a new approach put the effort into stoping the wrong people being appointed to management posts and ensuring incompetent managers are not promoted to senior posts. Not only would this mean HR would not spend so much time dealing with the consequences of poor management it would provide the space for those underrepresented groups to move into. It would also encourage those who are currently discouraged from even applying for management post because they see the organisation promote the over confident, whose ambition exceeds their ability. 

 

This is the conclusion in a recent article in the Harvey Business Review by professor Tomas Chamorro -Premuzic. He summaries academic researchers which confirmed most people’s experience that good leadership was the exception rather than the rule and that the quality of management in organisations suffered by appointing the wrong people. 

 

The implication is that the most effective way of promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is to put obstacles in the way of those who’s ambition exceeds their ability. 

 

The next task is to identify effective  obstacles they can put in the way of incompetent managers! 

 

Blair Mcpherson former Director, author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk