What Happens When the Competent Opt Out?

Charles Hugh Smith blog: oftwominds.com ^ | Jun 4, 2023 | Charles Hugh Smith

[MeganC]

This to me sounds like a perfect encapsulation of the modern bureaucratic state. How you do something is far more important than what you do or even the outcome of what you do.

[Red Badger]

WHO IS JOHN GALT?........................

[ConservativeMind]

They go to Galt’s Gulch.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Bttt

[jdt1138]

I bailed out when the commies took over at work.

[jdt1138]

Too bad that we cannot go to another planet. There is nowhere on Earth to escape the surveillance state.

[ConservativeInPA]

Who is John Galt? (It bears repeating)

[ClearCase_guy]

It is a standard observation that 20% of the workers do 80% of the work. The trend of competent people going Galt will have a huge impact.

[Vermont Lt]

That was my first thought.

[frogjerk]

Once you've burned out, you cannot continue. That option no longer exists.

I don't believe this is generally true. You will continue to do just the minimum to get by until a truly good opportunity comes along, which may never happen. Your "burned out gig" will become an afterthought like doing laundry and such.

[drSteve78]

When the only qualifications for competent leadership and work becomes a warm body that can successfully fight gravity and remain upright, the Universe will just shrug and those that haven’t starved to death then will.

[dfwgator]

A good movie that came out a few months ago is “Tetris”, which isn’t about the game, as much as about how things were in the Soviet Union, when everyone knew the days were numbered. Everybody was out for themselves.

[Responsibility2nd]

My wife and I are both in our mid 60’s and retired.

Why? We were both at the top of our pay scales. And 60 year olds have no opportunity for advancement.

For me, I knew it was time to hang it up when I got my annual raise.

BOSS: You got a $500 raise.

ME: Monthly? That’s great!

BOSS: Annually.

ME: You’re kidding, right?

BOSS: Sorry, you’re at the top of your pay range.

[dfwgator]

Most cases when someone reaches the top of the pay range, they’re let go.

[usconservative]

4. The competent must cover for the incompetent. As the competent tire of the artifice and make-work and quit, the remaining competent must work harder to keep everything glued together. Their commitment to high standards and accountability are their undoing, as the slack-masters and incompetent either don't care ("I'm just here to qualify for my pension") or they've mastered the processes of masking their incompetence, often by blaming the competent or the innocent for their own failings.

Hey Laz, guess what step I'm at?

[eboyer]

who is John Gault?

[MeganC]

I’m amazed that a movie critical of Soviet communism could have been made. Thank you for the referral!

[Responsibility2nd]

For sure. My wife was a public school teacher. She was pushed out. Why pay her $65K when new kids right out of college can be paid $35K?

As for me? My workload doubled during Covid. The older one gets, the harder it is to overcome stress and Burn Out.

And a $500 annual raise was a clear signal that it was time I left.

[oldbrowser]

As the competent leadership leaves, the incompetent takes the reins, blind to their own incompetence. It all looked so easy when the competent were at the helm, but reality is a cruel taskmaster, and all the excuses that worked as an underling wear thin once the incompetent are in leadership roles.

When I read this line I got a visual of Biden and the swamp trashing around pretending to govern the country.

[usconservative]

I turn 61 in November. Waiting until March 1, 2024 to retire.

Why then?

1. Annual Pay Raise. Impacts my Social Security benefit.
2. Annual Bonus. 20% of my pay. I want that.
3. Annual Pension and TIP fund contributions from my employer. I want those too.

After March 1st, 2024 I'm done. Don't "need" to work anymore, haven't for awhile now. Have always said as long as I had interesting work to keep me engaged I'd stay.

My employer has let 750+ people go, with another layoff coming. I really wish they'd let me go since I have 2 years worth of severance built up. But I've already been told "you're safe."

I'd just rather be let go and get two years of salary vs. waiting for the bonus, Pension and TIP fund contributions.

Dammit.