Mike Marlow wrote:

I've got over 30 years of corporate experience. Our experiences may differ
in some respects but my observations and experiences bear testimony to what
I've said - at least as much as yours do.

The generalization is probably invalid. I suppose that this sort of
thing is dependent on the individual(s) running the organization and
making the promotional decisions. I would seem to have been exposed to
more than my share of those who weigh visibility very heavily and value
a team of "yes men".

Business skills often (very often) interfere with upper
level management activities and objectives.

That would be what we call... politics. You are right that politics do
often prevail but that's something of a peripheral point.

Not necessarily. I think it's exactly my point. I think that politics
plays a far bigger role in upper management decisions (like promotions
and assignments) than academic records. At lower levels I believe that
people are more likely to be evaluated by educational background. A
lot of Engineers are getting an MBA added to their portfolio as a
result. But, my observations over the last few decades lead me to
believe that choices for execuitive management positions rarely take
into account the educational background. The effects (knowledge and
expertise) of that background might or might not have an effect
depending on the local politics (perceived as an asset or a threat).

I've seen this sort of thing as well but that is not an indictment of what I
stated earlier, which was that business degrees are what advance managers
more than the politics and proximity of certain departments like Marketing
and Finance. What you suggest is a personality issue and not really
reflective of who gets where based on the department they work in.

What I'm saying is that business degrees are like personality - both
dependent on local politics. I'm the sort of guy who doesn't mind
working with an abrasive or offensive individual that is the best at
what they do. I seek out people who demonstrate high qualifications.
Someone else might prefer to disreguard talent and qualifications and
decide against such a person. They often choose from among the "top of
mind" individuals that they best get along with. I've seen virtually
none of the former and a boatload of the latter. It does color my view
of the world.

snip

The best part of having been part of corporate environments where one has
observed behaviors they consider reprehensible is that one now has a mental
image of the offender in their mind, and they can daily compare their own
actions with that image front and center.

Absolutely.

Thanks,
Ed Bennett

http://www.ts-aligner.com