5 ms·

Reality disagrees with your worldview. There is only one thing that's "worth a promotion" and that's convincing the person able to greenlight it that you deserv

by ffsm8 3y ago

Reality disagrees with your worldview. There is only one thing that's "worth a promotion" and that's convincing the person able to greenlight it that you deserve it. This very rarely corresponds with the ability to deliver good software in medium to large enterprises and entirely with your ability to market yourself. Which is easier if you're able to show them a super complex problem you've solved, because it sounds impressive to a mba...

Retric 3y ago
You’re assuming what results in a promotion is the same as what’s worth a promotion. Nepotism makes it really easy to convince someone to promote you, but it doesn’t mean someone else doing the same thing would get a promotion.
- ffsm8 3y ago
  What does nepotism have to do with that? Did you confuse it with something else?
  - thfuran 3y ago
    Did you confuse it with something else? Giving someone a promotion for reasons other than the merit of their work is what nepotism is all about.
    - ffsm8 3y ago
      $ define nepotism the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs. how is that related to someone finding a complicated but irrelevant problem to solve to show how competent they're to the mba thats in the position to greenlight the promotion...?
      - Detrytus 3y ago
        Well, an MBA that wants to promote their relative might need that "complicated but irrelevant problem" solved as a kind of "cover your ass" paper trail.
lanstin 3y ago
It is very difficult for management to over time not change the rules on promotion enough that it tends towards a random walk where your level is approximately proportional to your length of service. Also,in at least the places I have worked, the enormous emphasis on individual performance both detracts from looking at group performance, i.e. actual productivity, and sucks up so much time. Copying from what execs have heard about Google they have promo boards, overly defined level descriptions, endless work of writing and rewriting promo packets, tactical discussions on which VPs need to be impressed independently of the merits or scope of a change, etc. There is a clear incentive to help people in a sister org over helping your team accomplish its goals. The whole system seems destined to be replaced by something more useful.
latexr 3y ago
> Reality disagrees with your worldview. There is only one thing that's "worth a promotion" and that's convincing the person able to greenlight it that you deserve it. It seems pretty clear to me that the person you’re replying to was talking in the sense of how things should be, not describing the way things are. Also, “worth promotion” is not their wording. You’re nitpicking the wrong thing.

by ffsm8 3y ago

Retric 3y ago

You’re assuming what results in a promotion is the same as what’s worth a promotion. Nepotism makes it really easy to convince someone to promote you, but it doesn’t mean someone else doing the same thing would get a promotion.

ffsm8 3y ago
What does nepotism have to do with that? Did you confuse it with something else?
- thfuran 3y ago
  Did you confuse it with something else? Giving someone a promotion for reasons other than the merit of their work is what nepotism is all about.
  - ffsm8 3y ago
    $ define nepotism the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs. how is that related to someone finding a complicated but irrelevant problem to solve to show how competent they're to the mba thats in the position to greenlight the promotion...?
    - Detrytus 3y ago
      Well, an MBA that wants to promote their relative might need that "complicated but irrelevant problem" solved as a kind of "cover your ass" paper trail.

lanstin 3y ago

It is very difficult for management to over time not change the rules on promotion enough that it tends towards a random walk where your level is approximately proportional to your length of service. Also,in at least the places I have worked, the enormous emphasis on individual performance both detracts from looking at group performance, i.e. actual productivity, and sucks up so much time. Copying from what execs have heard about Google they have promo boards, overly defined level descriptions, endless work of writing and rewriting promo packets, tactical discussions on which VPs need to be impressed independently of the merits or scope of a change, etc. There is a clear incentive to help people in a sister org over helping your team accomplish its goals. The whole system seems destined to be replaced by something more useful.

latexr 3y ago

> Reality disagrees with your worldview. There is only one thing that's "worth a promotion" and that's convincing the person able to greenlight it that you deserve it. It seems pretty clear to me that the person you’re replying to was talking in the sense of how things should be, not describing the way things are. Also, “worth promotion” is not their wording. You’re nitpicking the wrong thing.