Meritocracy = fairy tale

[jhonny9546]

Hi there guys! I found out this on an italian forum!
I think this is something really eye opening and we should talk about.
I don't know how it works in the US but I do think it's the same everywhere at some point.

In the U.S., meritocracy is a partial lie.
In Italy, it often doesn’t exist at all.
Italian companies are feudal. There are two castes:

The Pack Mules

The people who actually keep the place running.
In Italy, if you’re operationally competent, you’ll be buried in work because “you’re the only one who knows how to do it.”


The raise?
“There’s a crisis.”
“The budget is frozen.”
“Let’s talk about it next year.”

The Politicians

The ones who manage relationships, who “make a good impression” with the Director, who show up at corporate happy hours.


In Italy, technical competence gets you to €40–50k gross salary.


Above that, you’re paid for relationships, political maneuvering, and your ability not to create problems for your superiors.


If you want to climb, you must stop being operationally indispensable and become politically indispensable.


Speak the Master’s Language

Italy is addicted to “tech-speak” and “bureaucratese.”


Italian middle managers (often boomers) are obsessed with minimizing legal and union risk.


If you’re a technical person, you’re seen as a cost (a “cost center”).
You must translate your work into:

• Cost/tax savings: “This project saves us X.”
• Margin: “This allows us to raise prices.”
• Ass-covering: “This project will make you look good with the CEO.”

Strategic Incompetence (The Art of “I’m Not Good at This”)

In Italy, whoever does things ends up doing them for three people.


If you learn how to use the company’s awful management software, you’ll become “the software guy” for life.


Strategic incompetence is vital.


When they ask you to organize the Christmas dinner, fix the shared Excel file, or do data entry:

“Sorry, I’m terrible at this stuff. I’d probably mess it up. Better if Giacomo does it—he’s precise.”

Save your time for activities that end up on board slides.


Managing the Italian Boss

The average Italian boss is insecure.


They’re afraid someone younger and sharper will replace them (because the job market is static, and losing your job at 50 means you’re done).


Don’t bring ideas that require your boss to work more.


Your job is to protect their fiefdom.


Handle the bureaucratic annoyances they hate.
Make them look competent in meetings.


If your boss feels threatened by you, they’ll sideline or mob you.
If they feel protected by you, they’ll take you with them.


Visibility & Presenteeism

Italy still worships presenteeism.


Staying in the office until 8 PM is seen as dedication, even if you’ve been on Facebook since 6.


Remote work changed the form, not the substance: you must leave digital traces.


Strategic emails.
Pointless comments in calls (just to show you’re “engaged”).
And above all: coffee.


In Italy, real decisions aren’t made in meetings.
They’re made at the coffee machine or over lunch.


If you isolate yourself and work “head down,” you’re out of the game.


Mentor vs Sponsor

In Italy, “sponsor” is a euphemism for connections (not necessarily illegal).


You need someone upstairs who says:

“He’s one of us.”

Without an internal political sponsor, you’ll crash into the glass ceiling.


Find the executive who matters.
Solve their problems.
Become their trusted lieutenant.


Internal Networking & “Cliques”

Italian companies run on cliques.


When a Sales Director changes companies, they bring their loyalists along.


Don’t be loyal to the company (the company is just a logo).
Be loyal to powerful people who move.


Build alliances with:

• HR: for salary ranges and open roles.
• Accounting/Finance: for reimbursements and understanding where real money flows.
• IT: so you don’t get stuck when technology breaks.

The Loyalty Tax (Job Hopping Is Mandatory)

Collective contracts provide laughable seniority raises.


If you stay in the same company, your raise will be inflation (maybe).


The only way to get a real raise (20–30%) is to change companies.


Absorbable bonuses: internal raises often “absorb” future contractual increases. A legalized scam.


Changing jobs every 2–4 years is the only way to grow your salary.


Don’t get attached.


The Italian company sees you as a “labor cost,” not an asset.
If they can replace you with an intern, they will.


TFR note: many people stay to “not lose their severance pay” or out of laziness. Huge mistake.


The Budget Theater (and Headcount)

In Italian multinationals and large corporations, a manager’s power depends on how many people report to them.


If you’re efficient and do the work of 10 people with 2, you’ll be punished with budget cuts.


You must play the expansion game.


Always ask for resources.
Always complain you’re understaffed.
Spend the entire training budget, even if the course is useless.


A manager who gives money back is a manager with less power next year.

I'vtranslated the content with AI, so it could sound a bit digital, but that's the point.

For example I'm someone described here as the operational "hub," the driving force of a small company.
Result? "The politician" gets ahead, manages relationships, and takes home the cake, and then you, the "operationalist," who runs the business, get a small slice of that cake you earned all by yourself.

In my class, and I'm sure you can see this too, there are examples of people who were very good, the "operationalists," who are now in excellent companies, but stuck with a 30-40k salary, even for high-level roles.
While those who just passed, the "politicians," manage companies, people, and things, but don't "work."

So the real question isn't "how to change the system," because apparently, since ancient Rome, societies have functioned this way, but "how can operational people change and become politicians"?

If you're an operative, you already have an advantage over the politician. He's a slacker, while you're a smart guy.

So, what's really lacking in the operative?

PS: I notice this is very true in relationships too.
The political type wins relationships, the operative type gets dumped because he's too hardworking and sincere.

 

[jhonny9546]

What I would also like to point out is how being in the operational and working part are usually people with inner game, internal validation, sincere, secure attachment, while the political ones are even more insecure and manipulative, non-existent external validation inner game (the case is that many of these are fat men and without care for themselves).

I have found guys with much more grooming, solid and true, in the "Laboured" social part than those who are part of the "Political" one and who are all sick of work, and who are frequently in control of their social environment.



Your experience?