--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a staff increase may produce a temporary…" description: "\"“a staff increase may produce a temporary improvement, but the promotion process eventually produces its effect on the newcomers and they, too, rise to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/laurence-j-peter-2798_levels-incompetence_a-staff-increase-may-produce-a-temporary_1135605.png" --- # a staff increase may produce a temporary improvement, but… ![“a staff increase may produce a temporary improvement, but the promotion process eventually produces its effect on the newcomers and they, too, rise to their levels of incompetence.” quote by Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/laurence-j-peter-2798_levels-incompetence_a-staff-increase-may-produce-a-temporary_1135605.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/laurence-j-peter-2798_levels-incompetence_a-staff-increase-may-produce-a-temporary_1135605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/laurence-j-peter-2798_levels-incompetence_a-staff-increase-may-produce-a-temporary_1135605.png) > ““a staff increase may produce a temporary improvement, but the promotion process eventually produces its effect on the newcomers and they, too, rise to their levels of incompetence.”” [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Promotions raise people until they reach a level where they are ineffective, then the same pattern repeats with new hires. **In simple terms:** People become incompetent at their job level. Key Takeaway Beware of over‑promoting staff. Themes career competence organizational dynamics Mood cautious analytical Type advisory critical When to use this quote - HR decisions - team building - performance reviews Key Concepts Peter Principle competence ceiling Questions to Reflect On - How can we identify competence ceilings early? - What alternatives to promotion exist? A Different Perspective New hires may also hit competence limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“As individuals we tend to climb to our levels of incompetence. We behave as though up is better and more is better, and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/as-individuals-we-tend-to-climb-to-our-levels-of-incompetence-we/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [“By the time I left the electrical utility industry, I had seen levels of incompetence, illegal and dangerous activities that I could never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/by-the-time-i-left-the-electrical-utility-industry-i-had-seen-levels/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Laurence J. Peter > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/it-is-wise-to-remember-that-you-are-one-of-those-who-can-be-fooled/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Everyone rises to their level of incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Give a child enough rope and he will trip you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/give-a-child-enough-rope-and-he-will-trip-you-up/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Incompetence plus incompetence equals incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/incompetence-plus-incompetence-equals-incompetence/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [He laughs best whose laugh lasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/he-laughs-best-whose-laugh-lasts/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [The best intelligence test is what we do with our leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-best-intelligence-test-is-what-we-do-with-our-leisure/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [A man convinced against his will is not convinced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/a-man-convinced-against-his-will-is-not-convinced/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Bore : A fellow who can change the subject back to his topic of conversation faster than you can change it back to yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/bore-a-fellow-who-can-change-the-subject-back-to-his-topic-of/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Men now monopolize the upper levels... depriving women of their rightful share of opportunities for incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/men-now-monopolize-the-upper-levels-depriving-women-of-their-rightful/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [An optimist is one who makes the best of it when he gets the worst of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/an-optimist-is-one-who-makes-the-best-of-it-when-he-gets-the-worst-of/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [The seaman tells stories of winds, the ploughman of bulls; the soldier details his wounds, the shepherd his sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-seaman-tells-stories-of-winds-the-ploughman-of-bulls-the-soldier/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Nobody can be perfect unless he admits his faults, but if he has faults how can he be perfect?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/nobody-can-be-perfect-unless-he-admits-his-faults-but-if-he-has/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/early-to-bed-early-to-rise-work-like-hell-and-advertise/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) [Explore all 148 Laurence J. Peter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) ## More Levels Incompetence quotes > [“As individuals we tend to climb to our levels of incompetence. We behave as though up is better and more is better, and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/as-individuals-we-tend-to-climb-to-our-levels-of-incompetence-we/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [“By the time I left the electrical utility industry, I had seen levels of incompetence, illegal and dangerous activities that I could never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/by-the-time-i-left-the-electrical-utility-industry-i-had-seen-levels/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) Browse all 3 Levels Incompetence quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“a staff increase may produce a temporary improvement, but the promotion process eventually produces its effect on the newcomers and they, too, rise to their levels of incompetence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurence J. 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