Flattery Will Get You Everywhere
by American Way Staff
Boss Buttering 101
Office flattery may not get you everywhere, but it’s a start. Some how-to tips:
1. Master the art of deep, mesmerized eye contact. Why? Because the boss is fascinating: She deserves your undivided attention.
2. Parrot up. Repeat the big guy’s key slogans and sayings in meetings, reports, and memos.
3. Know her interests. Ask about the kids, the weekend at the lake, the latest episode of her favorite TV show.
Wrong: “24 is so unrealistic. When do they go to the bathroom?”
Right: “Isn’t Jack Bauer amazing? Nobody tortures like he does!”
4. Spread the butter. Don’t limit your fawning to just one manager. What if he gets shipped to Toledo?
Source: Business 2.0
It Figures
In a survey of more than 1,000 senior managers and CEOs at major companies, University of Michigan strategy professor James Westphal and University of Texas at Austin doctoral student Ithai Stern found definitive proof that sucking up works.
Over a 12-month period, they found that managers who challenged the CEO fewer times, complimented him/her more times, and did the boss at least one personal favor were 64 percent more likely to be appointed to a board of directors where the CEO was already a director.
Source: Fast Company
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