Group 1 - A trend of underperforming employees being promoted over more qualified colleagues is observed across various industries, including finance, education, and tech [1][2][3] - Promotions are often influenced more by personal connections and workplace politics than by actual performance, leading to a phenomenon where some employees "fail upward" [3][4] - High-performing employees may feel stuck in their positions due to their reliability and the dependency of their departments on their work, which can prevent them from advancing [4]