Don't you wonder how some people get promoted? I mean, really, some of the people who make decisions that affect you (and get the big bucks that annoy you) are idiots. It makes you wonder whether they have incriminating photos stashed away of executives in compromising positions.

I wish there were a statistic I could share to prove that some percentage of managers in every company are incompetent. But, which incompetent managers would cop to it to validate the survey results? I'm sure you see the issue. Intuitively, though, I think we can safely assume that at least one in ten is dead weight. (Before you get on some self-righteous soap box, you should know it's generally believed that-at any given time-about ten percent of employees at any level could be removed from the work force without significant consequence.)

It's harder to swallow when one of the ten is in a position of authority, isn't it? You have to hear this person taking credit for your hard work in company meetings. You and your colleagues have to scramble around to provide talking points and backgrounder packets so this person can answer drill-down questions. You get to sit in 27B while this person sips a full-bodied Malbec in business class.

When it gets to be a bit much, remember these three things.

  • It's not easy being cheesy. This person probably is aware-at some level-that he or she isn't adding value. No amount of stock options, frequent flyer miles, or year-end bonus payments can soothe the kind of stress one feels while teetering precariously at the top.
  • Nothing lasts forever. Every changing season brings another chance this person may be whisked away to another position in the wake of a re-org. Keep the faith!
  • What goes around comes around. I am witness to one case in which an inept and morally void person who kept getting promoted finally got his due. It took ten years. In another case, a person who somehow held onto a big title re-org after re-org finally was discovered to be "all hat and no cattle." He got fired. That one took just seven years.

Trust me when I say it does no good to take specific steps to out this person. Doing so can backfire in ways you would hardly believe. Just carry on with your good work. Try not to waste too many cycles thinking about this person and those blackmail photos waiting in a manila envelope. Instead, think of happy things like sunshine, puppies, chocolate ice cream, and that magical day in the future when your "not-so-special" someone will get what's coming.

Franny Fried