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Disagree

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The doggone headline is too definite. Kissing up is not an absolute must. There are also degrees of kissing up, from literally sensually kissing the boss to just offering a little verbal flattery at the right time.

I'm long retired now, so no one should suspect the identity of the person I'm discussing here. For 25 years, I was the boss of a division of 40 people at a large financial firm. Of course, I experienced all kinds of employee tactics to get favors, promotions and salary increases. Even though I could confess now, I don't believe I fell for any of the situations where kissing up was successful with me.

Along with that confession, I don't remember ever an occasion when I ever tried kissing up to a higher-ranking executive during my business and military career. However, thinking it over now in my sunset years, I wonder if I had tried kissing up with the right person at the right moment, maybe my monthly pension check would be considerably higher.

One of my employees, who started in my division in a clerical job, had become an executive by the time I retired. We worked together for about 15 years, and all her promotions were due to my recommendations. She was a high school graduate when she was first employed, but completed her requirements for a bachelor's degree during her rise through the ranks.

At the chance of sounding sexist, I can recall she was very pretty, in a quiet, dignified way. As a normal male, I appreciated that, but never ever made any improper gesture. Not that I was so moral. The company had strict rules about it, and I just didn't want to lose my job. Hmmm, there were a couple of young ladies along the way, and I was sorely tempted.... but maybe that's an entirely different story.

The problem with this young woman, if it was actually a problem, was that she disliked me. No, actually she hated my guts. I don't know if it was my personality, my religion or what, but in her own subtle way, there were times when she considered me her enemy. Of course, she thought she was an expert in keeping it hidden, and she never did anything overt to sabotage me as her boss, but I knew.

Maybe there were moments when I thought about confronting her, passing her on to another division or finding reasons to fire her. However, those moments passed quickly because she was by far the most creative and industrious employee in the division. Whatever task she was given, she did with total dedication. As she was being promoted up the line, she made sure all employees who reported to her did their work right and on time. We were a deadline-driven division, and this young woman was priceless for getting jobs in right, on time and within budget.

Within a year before I retired, I made sure she was in line for another promotion. By that time, we were equals in rank, and that next move made her an executive. It was a bit ironic that she, now outranking me, presided at my retirement ceremony. I can tell truthfully that in all the years I knew that woman, she never kissed up to me nor anyone else. She simply let her work speak for her. Enough said?

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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