I came across an older post by Alex Papadimoulis on TheDailyWTF.com, dealing with the Dead Sea Effect described by Bruce Webster.

Frankly, it's one of the most interesting and thought-provoking posts I've read regarding employee retention.

The Dead Sea Effect (in I.T.) is the predicted end result of many years of having the best employees leave, without replacing them with people of equal or higher skill levels. What's left? An accumulation of staffers who are less ambitious, less talented, and generally less capable of finding work elsewhere.

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	The Cravath Firm And Its Predecessors: 1819-1947 author: Robert T. Swaine ASIN or ISBN-10: 1584777133

Overheard somewhere, sometime

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER (in a cheerful tone): I'm working on fixing the XYZ disturbance in the flux capacitor module.

MANAGER: You know, you can try {insert obvious technique here} to fix that.

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER (in a calm, pleasant tone of voice): Thanks for the suggestion. I have a question for you, and please don't read too much into this. When you offered that suggestion, was it because you thought I was unaware of that technique or that I've overlooked something?

What can you do when you work in a severely dysfunctional environment? Can you do more than just 'grin and bear it'?

As some have found, there's a learning opportunity in every work situation.

If nothing else, you can take comfort in knowing that you have an opportunity to learn valuable lessons even while suffering:

I was lamenting the confusing interface to a piece of software the other day, when a colleague said it sounded a bit like 'grousing' because I wasn't able to suggest any improvements. I capitulated, admitting I wasn't close enough to the problem to offer any useful feedback at the time.

Later, though, I was thinking about the exchange, and began to put it in perspective, especially regarding a recent post about the truth being filtered as it made its way up the company hierarchy.

Have you ever wondered how your boss got their job? Have you ever thought "this guy is so incompetent, he probably doesn't even know it"? How/why does this happen?

Whenever there's an job opening, staff are frequently asked if they know anyone who might be a good fit. This is indeed an excellent way to jump start the hiring process; personal references are frequently much better than "off the street" hires. The obvious caveat is that the inside person doing the recommending has good sense and a good understanding of more than just the skills required. For example, the inside person may be a good person and a good employee but may not understand the corporate culture or their friend well enough to see that it just won't work out: think highly structured vs. very laid-back, for example.

What does this have to do with getting an incompetent boss?

There's no such thing as a perfect company - any enterprise consisting of more than one person is going to have issues (and to be sure, there are single-person enterprises that have major issues).

Frequently, the larger the organization, the more likely one or more of the following is going to be true. Note that there is a difference between an event or incident and an actual pattern. Incidents can sometimes be explained (everyone has bad days); patterns are worth noting.

Here, then, are the top ten patterns that could convince you to pack your bags:

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Here are some ways that sociopathy and psychopathy can manifest themselves in the workplace.

The Sociopathic/Psychopathic Corporation

Some have likened the corporation to a sociopath or psychopath - because a corporation has no conscience beyond that of the people in it, even though it has a legal status and rights on its own -- it has some of the status of a "person" in the eyes of the law, but no conscience of its own.

The Sociopathic/Psychopathic Manager

Psychopath. Sociopath.

The terms strike fear in the hearts and minds of normal, conscientious, caring people. The media use these terms when describing vicious murderers or torturers. But what do the words really mean? Are all who can be labeled 'psychopath' or 'sociopath' prone to violence and physical abuse? Or are there other, more subtle, yet just as serious ways that these personality types manifest themselves in our daily lives?

Learning to identify and deal with psychopaths and sociopaths in the workplace is an important skill, even though they may represent only a small part of the population.

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	The Sociopath Next Door author: Martha Stout ASIN or ISBN-10: 0767915828
	Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us author: Robert D. Hare PhD ASIN or ISBN-10: 1572304510

I hate to break it to you, but I'm your boss. Your complaining and dissatisfaction fall on deaf ears, most of the time. You can be replaced. Keep it up, and you probably will be. Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.

No matter how useful or clever you are, or how hard you work, your continued employment is an economic decision: you earn your pay (and more), or you don't. If you don't, you're probably headed for the unemployment office at the next downsizing opportunity.