The Dunning-Kruger Effect or Why Incompetence Gets Promoted

[FenigDurak]

This phenomenon was brought to my attention today, but I'm certain someone here has heard of it before.

To wrap it up not-so-succinctly, it sort of explains why so many people who have no idea what they are doing are so often promoted into positions of authority (this came up while we were discussing Sarah Palin over pizza). A person who has little knowledge of something will over compensate for their lack of knowledge by acting as if they know everything there is to know about that something. On the flip side of this, the people who actually do know what they are doing/talking about will downplay their expertise, sometimes to an extreme ("Hey, you know what you're doing up there Mr Master Electrician?" "Nope. I just like the pretty colors. ").

Article on Boing Boing and the Wiki of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

My favorite bit from the Boing Boing article:

Charles Darwin once said, 'Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than knowledge,' and Dunning and Kruger seem to have proven this point. In light of this, it suddenly becomes clear why public debate can be so excruciating. Debates on climate change, the age of the Earth or intelligent design are perfect real-life examples of the Dunning-Kruger effect. It beautifully explains the utter confidence of those who, with no expertise, remain stubborn in their views regardless of overwhelming evidence. It makes you want to shake them by the collar and scream about how stupid they are. But evidence shows that's not the best strategy.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Bleh. I wonder if this is across all cultures, or just in American/European/Western culture. This is why there's huge-ass tests to graduate from HS in most of Europe, and for computer certifications, and other apprentice-type situations.
Holding your ground no matter what has hindered the human race. It's also furthered the human race. Yay for paradoxes.
EDIT: I did notice the initial query into other cultures... it appears that overall research more needs to be done.

[Boozy]

This reminds me of another theory that basically says, "Every employee is promoted until he is found incompetent in that position - at which point s/he ceases to be promoted and remains in that position."

It explains why so many managers are incompetent at their jobs - they've been promoted beyond their skill level, but the company will not demote them or fire them.

[BigBird]

This reminds me of another theory that basically says, "Every employee is promoted until he is found incompetent in that position - at which point s/he ceases to be promoted and remains in that position."

It explains why so many managers are incompetent at their jobs - they've been promoted beyond their skill level, but the company will not demote them or fire them.

In other words, once crap hits the surface, it ain't going under again.

[Chromatix]

"The scum also rises."

Frequently, people with no specific talent go into Business at university. Once indoctrinated into the ways of corporate life, management is all they *can* do. The question remains, can they do it well?

Sometimes the answer is no, but with that nice bit of paper saying they have a degree in the field, their actual ability level can get overlooked.

[tropicsgoddess]

It's just basically fake it till ya make it. That's pretty much how some of the people at my job got their promotions. No surprise there.

[draggar]

They look at it this way,

They have two employees - one of which is going to be promoted.

One is great at his job and the other is mediocre.

If you promote the person who is great at their job then you'll lose a great person in that position and will leave the mediocre person left - and possibly to train the replacement.

If you promote the mediocre person then you'll still have the great person at their job doing that job and they'll train the new person.

They also figure they don't need to motivate someone who is great at their job.

I knew someone that despite the "you can't be promoted until you're in your position for at least a year" got promoted 3 times within the first year of his employ (well, it was a little longer).

His first two months as a sales rep he blew his numbers out of the water, he was one of the top sales people in the region. Then, he want to just doing his job (making quota but not exceeding it). The second month of this the manager pulled him into his office and asked why his performance went down. His put it bluntly, "you've seen what I can do - now what is my motivation for keeping it up?"

Next month he was a lead sales rep. Rinse and repeat - 5 months later he was promoted to an assistant store manager. 9 months, two promotions.

Rinse and repeat. 4 months later he was promoted to a store manager. 13 months, 3 promotions.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

That's the way to do it, Draggar.