What is a kakistocracy, in the world of work ?

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What is a cacistocracy?

Thanks for asking. We spend a good deal of our time at work, 35 hours a week or more. It's an integral part of our lives. So if you can, it's always best to surround yourself with good colleagues. They make work not only more enjoyable, but stimulating. However, when we don't get along with our co-workers, time moves slowly. Worse still is when you find yourself compensating for their shoddy work or having to work around them. But by far the worst situation is when the problem of incompetence comes from above. This situation has a name. The working environment becomes a Cachistocracy. What does it mean? It's defined as a state or society governed by its least suitable or competent citizens. It comes from the ancient Greek and is made up of Cachistos, meaning the worst and crazy government. Today, it's used to talk both about political organisations as well as companies. It's management by incompetence. The media outlet, The Conversation, conducted a survey on the subject and found that the effects of a Cachistocracy on company employees are always the same. A feeling of uselessness, incomprehension and frustration with consequences such as absenteeism, disengagement, departure and underperformance.

How do incompetent people get to a position of power in the first place?

You might expect that professional development is synonymous with effort, progress, skill and training. Except, this isn't always the case, especially in a Cachistocracy. According to Isabella Bath, a researcher in management science, when someone who is competent is offered a promotion, they don't feel they're being done a favour and are not particularly grateful. And that's normal, since they've worked hard and deserve the job.

On the other hand, by rewarding someone undeserving, they are in your debt. In other words, they owe you and are not likely to question your management choices. This echoes Dilbert's theory coined by the American comedian Scott Adams. The most incompetent people are systematically assigned to the jobs where they are least likely to cause damage. Managers.

Is it possible to overthrow a cacistocracy? If it's well established, it's not easy. But there are options. First of all, training. If the people in charge aren't competent, let's teach them to be. Alternatively, become a whistleblower. Point the finger at the cacistocrat. Stop covering their backs and stop hiding their shortcomings from the world. Finally, hire more women. Inequalities in the workplace make it harder for women to reach top positions, so they are more likely than men to be qualified when they reach the top. There you have it. Now you know what a cacistocracy is. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along, and you really will know for sure.

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