Why do mediocre people get promoted?

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Have you ever wondered “Why them?” when you see someone get promoted?

Well, sometimes it’s not about skills or hard work; it’s about managers trying to pass on problem employees. Instead of tackling issues, some bosses take the easy way out – promote the headache to someone else’s team.

But here’s the thing – leadership isn’t about taking the easy road. It’s about doing what’s best for everyone, even when it’s uncomfortable. Promoting problem employees is short-sighted; it just spreads the trouble instead of fixing it.

Leaders need to step up and tackle issues head-on. Avoiding tough conversations only hurts the team and the organisation in the long run. Promotions should be earned, not used as an escape hatch for managers.

Let’s create workplaces where people are recognized for their contributions and where leaders aren’t afraid to deal with challenges. It’s time for leaders to step up, have those hard conversations, and lead by example. That’s how we build strong teams and thriving organisations.

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I help leaders master Positive Friction so that they can use constructive conflict and negotiation skills to be more effective. If this post resonates, get in touch.

What causes turnover?

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Did you know that 72.3% of employee turnover is caused by leaders not understanding friction?

We get told that turnover is the result of poor job satisfaction, bad workplace cultures and lack of salary growth, but actually turnover is mostly caused by the misuse of friction.

It’s easy to think of friction as bad (and it can be if applied inappropriately) but skilful use of friction is definitely good!

The brake in your car is a form of friction – without the right level of control, accidents can be caused by applying the brake too much AND by applying it too little. The same is true with friction in the workplace:

  • When leaders don’t negotiate the friction caused by the diverse expectations of different stakeholders (customers, boards, teams), turnover follows.
  • When leaders don’t doggedly pursue an understanding of the causes of conflict in their organisations, friction increases and turnover follows.
  • When leaders don’t want feedback (on themselves or their plans) and don’t seek out different opinions, valuable friction is inhibited and turnover follows.

Now, confession time, I made up the 72.3% but you feel it, right? It’s the lived experience of many of us. We’ve all had leaders who pay lip-service to collaboration but it’s an illusion. We have all had leaders who don’t want to negotiate internal tensions, or acknowledge conflict or hear our opinions, so we leave!

Understanding how to use positive friction is the key to improving turnover. Instead of blaming turnover on those leaving, you should be looking at how you use friction.

I’d love to talk with you about positive friction, so do get in touch.