History Main / TheDilbertPrinciple

The Dilbert Principle works as a counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically, it states that, generally speaking, incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited. Or, in other words, people who least deserve to be promoted (or most deserve to be fired) will be promoted in place of those who most deserve promotion. Reasons for this range from good, old-fashioned [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections cronyism]] to... well, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment cronyism]]-- though it's not uncommon for individuals to rise within a [[VastBureaucracy bureaucracy]] on the basis of their superficial traits ([[ScrewTheRulesImyBeautiful good looks]], [[LargeAndInCharge impressive height]]), rather than merit.

The Dilbert Principle works as a counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically, it states that, generally speaking, incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited. Or, in other words, people who least deserve to be promoted (or most deserve to be fired) will be promoted in place of those who most deserve promotion. Reasons for this range from good, old-fashioned [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections cronyism]] to... well, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment cronyism]]-- though it's not uncommon for individuals to rise within a [[VastBureaucracy bureaucracy]] on the basis of their superficial traits ([[CrewTheRulesImyBeautiful good looks]], [[LargeAndInCharge impressive height]]), rather than merit.

The Dilbert Principle works as a counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically, it states that, generally speaking, incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited. Or, in other words, people who least deserve to be promoted (or most deserve to be fired) will be promoted in place of those who most deserve promotion. Reasons for this range from good, old-fashioned [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections cronyism]] to... well, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment cronyism]]-- though it's not uncommon for individuals to rise within a [[VastBureaucracy bureaucracy]] on the basis of their superficial traits (good looks, [[Series/InvaderZim impressive height]]), rather than merit.

The Dilbert Principle works as a counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically, it states that, generally speaking, incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited. Or, in other words, people who least deserve to be promoted (or most deserve to be fired) will be promoted in place of those who most deserve promotion.

* In ''Film/{{Ted}}'', the title character Ted has this happen twice to him. Whenever he's caught doing something that should get him fired, he is instead promoted. Both times, his reaction is [[LampshadeHanging something along the lines of]] [[YouHaveGOTToBeKiddingMe "Are you fucking kidding me?!?"]]

* George Costanza in {{Seinfeld}} seems to employ this trope. During his tenure at the Yankees, he manages to do almost no work at all, even describing to Jerry about the work that he does do as, 'They had a concession stand like you wouldn't believe'. Despite this, George is promoted twice before being 'traded' to Tyler Chicken for a fermented chicken drink and other chicken products. He lands a second job doing essentially the same amount of work (i.e. none), scamming his boss by pretending to be handicapped, and then later refusing to quit when he realizes he can't be legally fired, as he never actually ''said'' he was crippled. He only lost his job when the company tanked financially.

* George Costanza in {{Seinfeld}} seems to employ this trope. During his tenure at the Yankees, he manages to do almost no work at all, even stating to Jerry about the work that he does do 'They had a concession stand like you wouldn't believe'. Despite this, George is promoted twice before being 'traded' to Tyler Chicken for a fermented chicken drink and other chicken products.

The principle is named for the comic-strip Dilbert and was named by Dilbert creator Scott Adams who identified this trend as common in businesses.

* In ''Film/{{Ted}}'', the title character Ted has this happen twice to him. Whenever he's caught doing something that should get him fired, he is instead promoted. (Both times, his reaction is [[LampshadeHanging something along the lines of]] [[YouHaveGOTToBeKiddingMe "Are you fucking kidding me?!?"]]

* In ''Film/{{Ted}}'', the title character Ted has this happen twice to him. Whenever he's caught doing something that should get him fired, he is instead promoted. (Both times, his reaction is [[LampshadeHanging something along the lines of]] [[AreYouKiddingMe "Are you fucking kidding me?!?"]]

* In {{Ted}}, the titular Ted has this happen twice to him. Whenever he's caught doing something that should get him fired, he is instead promoted. (Both times, his reaction is [[LampshadeHanging something along the lines of]] [[AreYouKiddingMe "Are you fucking kidding me?!?"]]

The Dilbert Principle works as counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically it states that generally speaking incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited. Or, in other words, people who least deserve to be promoted (or most deserve to be fired) will be promoted in place of those who most deserve promotion.

* In {{Ted}}, the titular Ted has this happens twice. Whenever he's caught doing something that should get him fired, he is instead promoted.
* George Costanza in {{Seinfeld}} seems to employ this trope. During his tenure at the Yankees he manages to do almost no work at all, even stating to Jerry about the work that he does do 'They had a concession stand like you wouldn't believe'. Despite this George is promoted twice before being 'traded' to Tyler Chicken for a fermented chicken drink and other chicken products.
* Happens in ''OfficeSpace'', where the two consultants make plans to fire the protagonist's two highly skilled friends but consider the protagonist himself to be management material based on his hypnosis-induced attitude of not giving a shit and just flat out telling them his bosses suck and he barely does any work.

* In ''{{Ted}} the titular Ted has this happens twice. Whenever he's caught doing something that should get him fired, he is instead promoted.

The Dilbert Principle works as counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically it states that generally speaking incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited. (Or, in other words, people who least deserve to be promoted will be promoted in place of those who most deserve promotion.)

The Dilbert Principle works as counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically it states that generally speaking incompetent workers will be promoted above competent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited.

* Scott Adams, the author of the comic ''{{Dilbert}}'', wrote an entire book dedicated to how promotion has changed from the Peter Principle to his [[{{TropeNamer}} coinage]]. Thus the PointyHairedBoss and the Marketing Department as shown in the strip.

!Examples of this Trope include.


* I n Ted the titular Ted has this happens twice. Whenever he s caught doing something that should get him fired he is instead promoted.

* Scott Adams, the author of the comic Dilbert wrote an entire book dedicated to how promotion has changed from the Peter Principle to his [[{{TropeNamer}} coinage]] The Dilbert Principle, in other words, instead of people getting promoted to their lowest level of competence, any and all incompetent employees are placed in the one place where they can do the least damage: Management.
** Thus the PointyHairedBoss and the Marketing Department as shown in the strip.

* Happens in OfficeSpace, where the two consultants make plans to fire the protagonist's two highly skilled friends, but consider the protagonist himself to be management material based on his hypnosis-induced attitude of not giving a shit and just flat out telling them his bosses suck and he barely does any work.

* In HomicideLifeOnTheStreet, Roger Gaffney gets promoted to Captain ahead of the far more deserving Al Giardello, despite being almost completely incompetent as a police detective and completely hated by most of, if not all, his fellow officers for displaying racist and sexist attitudes in a unit with plenty of black and female officers.
* In TheWire, with the exception of Daniels, most of the higher ups in the BPD are relatively undeserving of their jobs. They don't actually want to do any real police work, unless they absolutely have to, and if they had to do it themselves they probably couldn't.

* In The Wire, with the exception of Daniels, most of the higher ups in the BPD are relatively undeserving of their jobs. They don't actually want to do any real police work, unless they absolutely have to, and if they had to do it themselves they probably couldn't.

** Partly justified by the fact that he also identifies a long list of inefficiencies within corporate processes and explains how the work environment naturally leads to {{dismotivation}}.

* Happens in OfficeSpace, where the two consultants make plans to fire the protagonist's two highly skilled friends, but considering the protagonist management material based on his hypnosis-induced attitude of not giving a shit and just flat out telling them his bosses suck and he barely does any work.
** Partly justified by the fact that he also identifies a long list of inefficiencies within corporate processes and explains how the work environment naturally leads to {{dismotivation}}

* Happens in OfficeSpace, where the two consultants make plans to fire the protagonist's two highly skilled friends, but considering the protagonist management material based on his hypnosis-induced attitude of not giving a shit and just flat out telling them his bosses suck and he barely does any work.

* Almost occurs in OfficeSpace, where the two consultants make plans to fire the protagonist's two highly skilled friends, but considering the protagonist management material based on his hypnosis-induced attitude of not giving a shit and just flat out telling them his bosses suck and he barely does any work.

* George Costanza in {{Seinfeld}} seems to employ this trope. During his tenure at the Yankees he manages to do almost no work at all, even stating to Jerry about the work that he does do 'They had a concession stand like you wouldn't believe'. Despite this George is promoted twice before being 'traded' to Tyler Chicken for a fermented chicken drink and other chicken products.

The Dilbert Principle works as counterpoint to ThePeterPrinciple. Basically it states that generally speaking incompetent workers will be promoted above compentent workers to managerial positions where they thus don't have to do any real work and the damage they do can be limited.