[liuliu]

> Managers exist on the same spectrum as any other role. Most are about average. Some are better, some are worse. Same with engineers themselves.

I do understand what OP said somewhat though. Mostly due to Peter's principle, thus, managers are not "about average" but "mostly incompetent". It is easier to promote people managers than ICs in growing organization, hence it is easier to play out Peter's principle in real life for people managers.

[b3morales]

The key that I think makes all the difference is to treat moving to management as not a promotion, but just a change to a different career track. Same as if the person went into design or any other non-engineering role.

[taneq]

Remember that the Peter principle only applies to people who’ve peaked and who are in roles with some meaningful promotion path remaining. It doesn’t apply to someone who’s working their way up the ranks and is currently an engineering manager. It also doesn’t apply to someone in that role in a small-to-midsized company where there’s nowhere further to be promoted without buying out the owner.

[grumple]

The Peter Principle is just an idea someone had (and intended to be satire) and not an actual factual reflection of the way the world works.

[fluoridation]

The fact that it's satire doesn't make it untrue.

[drewcoo]

Not just that. The fact that it's satire means it's at least somewhat true.

[afarrell]

However if the satyrical speaker did not believe that they had a duty of care to the truth, then it is bullshit[1].

[1] Prof. Harry Frankfurt, On Bullshit. http://www2.csudh.edu/ccauthen/576f12/frankfurt__harry_-_on_...

[fluoridation]

Not really, that does not follow. It is possible to speak the truth by accident.

[afarrell]

It is also possible to arrive safely at your destination via reckless driving.

[fluoridation]

It is equally incorrect to assume that someone who speaks "without a duty of care to the truth" is saying something true or false, if given no other information.

[ZephyrBlu]

It does seem to be a reflection of how the world works though. Most promotions risk being promoted to your level of incompetence because they are happenstance. They mostly occur either when you're joining a new company or someone leaves/company is growing which makes room.

Being promoted because you are excelling in your position and taking on responsibilities of the one above is the rarest main reason from what I have seen.