I have repeated this particular observation many times. My first contact with it was working with DP/IT departments in large, old companies. Since they started in the mainframe days, when no one was really an expert in business computing, they would “promote” someone to head of the department for whatever reason other than knowledge and experience of computers.

If the person was a poor manager, not understanding their role as manager, believed they had to be the smartest computer guy in the room to keep their job, they’d hire people who knew a little (or a lot) less than they did. This made them feel safe.

If the person was a good manager, understanding that unit success was their success and hiring experts would make the department a more competent, successful group, they’d look for people that know a lot more than they did to contribute to it. They knew they were there to do the work a manager does (which did include being conversant in the technology so they could make good decisions based on expert staff advice).

Over the decades the former organization would decay and through attrition the manager would get worse and worse at both managing and computing. They would repeat the mistake of their predecessor for the same reasons and competence would reduce with every generation of staff. This type made me a lot of money as a consultant but were very unpleasant to work with and considered consultant “wizards” who knew secrets they could never divine as a mere mortal.

The latter type were extremely competent, and grew in competence over the decades. They were a pleasure ot work with because not only weren’t their systems a messy patchwork of guesses and workarounds, they only called me after they’d already worked out everything they could, and being competent it meant that I was handed a package of good documentation and troubleshooting, etc., simplifying my work and making it more interesting.

I usually tell this story to the one-level-up management in an organization whose IT infrastructure is in peril because of scared, gormless managers using technical obfuscation to cover for lack of skill and knowledge. A few times it was possible to reorient the manager and group to pursue competence and rigor—usually not. We’d solve the current problem only to be called back after the cruft had crushed the original solution.

In any case, I endorse @MrSalts short version of this idea, it‘s very important if it can be gotten across.

I first heard something similar in a book by Bill Gates but he set it up so well that he could say it in a concise way. (Paraphrasing to the best of my memory)..
"A" quality managers hire "A" quality candidates. "B" quality managers hire "C" and "D" quality candidates.

In addition to the obvious Management Lesson in Gates's statement, a the hidden message is, "don't be a B-candidate - you'll never get a job."

 

“ The cheapest, fastest, and most reliable components are those that aren't there”
Gordon Bell

 

“ The cheapest, fastest, and most reliable components are those that aren't there”
Gordon Bell

Down here we say: "The most expensive component is the one that you don't have"

 

Down here we say: "The most expensive component is the one that you don't have"

I bet you don’t.

I bet you say something more like: "El componente más caro es el que no tienes".

 

I bet you don’t.

I bet you say something more like: "El componente más caro es el que no tienes".

Yup... you got that exactly right...

 

Select your educational path carefully.
https://www.theguardian.com/science...sider-selling-avon-products-to-make-ends-meet

Postgraduates chosen for their “excellent potential” to become future leaders in environmental science and sustainable business should consider selling Avon products, pet-sitting and joining clinical trials to cope with the cost of living crisis.

Plastics...


Dancing was a popular way to earn a little money while in school too.

 

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Treat them with disrespect because they're idiots.

 

Treat them with disrespect because they're idiots.

+1

 

My life's philosophy is to always give respect away for free at first ... but I'm always ready to withdraw it if later on the person receiving it proves to be unworthy of it...

 

My life's philosophy is to always give respect away for free at first ... but I'm always ready to withdraw it if later on the person receiving it proves to be unworthy of it...

Half of all people are dumber than average. It saves time to assume a new acquaintance will turn out to be an idiot.

Further, I prefer surprise to disappointment.

 

Last words at divorce court.

"I was just the idiot who fell for the hot junkie from high school"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/he...w-the-cost-of-drug-addiction.html?image=31919

 

 

https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-china-pandemics-bcbe39293f5c041f82665f55c39062c1

New studies bolster theory coronavirus emerged from the wild

The pandemic’s origins remain controversial. Some scientists believe a lab leak is more likely and others remain open to both possibilities. But Matthew Aliota, a researcher in the college of veterinary medicine at the University of Minnesota, said in his mind the pair of studies “kind of puts to rest, hopefully, the lab leak hypothesis.”

“Both of these two studies really provide compelling evidence for the natural origin hypothesis,” said Aliota, who wasn’t involved in either study. Since sampling an animal that was at the market is impossible, “this is maybe as close to a smoking gun as you could get.”

 

During World War II, fighter planes would come back from battle with bullet holes. The Allies initially sought to strengthen the most commonly damaged parts of the planes to increase combat survivability. A mathematician, Abraham Wald, pointed out that perhaps the reason certain areas of the planes weren’t covered in bullet holes was that planes that were shot in certain critical areas did not return. This insight led to the armor being re-enforced on the parts of returning planes where there were no bullet holes. This wisdom was also beneficially applied to the Skyraider during the Korean War. This shows that the reasons why we are missing certain data may be more meaningful than the available data, itself. In questions of design, don’t only listen to what the evidence says, listen also to what is not being said.

 

Last words at divorce court.

I was expecting to see the Keith Richards photos...

 

Hiring managers who know they are approaching the limits of their skills will hire employees who are less educated, from lower ranked schools and achieved lower GPAs than themselves. This is how good organizations spoil.

And then there are those managers who upon realizing that their existing skills are limiting what they can do go out and hire the best people with those skills.

 

And then there are those managers who upon realizing that their existing skills are limiting what they can do go out and hire the best people with those skills.

Which means those hiring managers are still at the top of their game, as managers. Managers who think they have to know more than their staff does aren't managing, they are trying to micromanage.

 

Which means those hiring managers are still at the top of their game, as managers. Managers who think they have to know more than their staff does aren't managing, they are trying to micromanage.

Or the Peter Principle comes into play...

 

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