1 of 105

Disagree

Write now Print Email Article Invite a writer™ Add to Favorites Contact this writer

While some believe that your success in the business world is all about whom you know and your relationship with those people, it can be argued that it is about what you know and how you use that knowledge.

To put it briefly, "kissing up" may bring temporary benefits, but does not guarantee to provide long-term benefits.

The boss that promotes based on the ego trip provided by an employee runs the risk of facing stormy waters ahead when the employee is proven to be inept. Not only will the expected tasks be incomplete or erroneous but also the cost to repair the damage is not cost-effective from the business standpoint. The company loses profits when it is required to invest more money into a position that should have produced quality work the first time around and in the expected time frame.

For the employee's side, "kissing up" to the boss will cause unnecessary stress with the acquired workload from the promoted position. An individual may want a position in the company that offers more money and may be willing to do whatever it takes to get the position but people fail to realize that once in the position, there is an expectation to perform at a certain level. If the individual is not qualified to handle the position, then this will become obvious. Bosses don't like to be made fools of and when the employee fails to perform, this is a bad reflection on the boss that recommended the promotion.

There are also repercussions from co-workers. Individuals, who are promoted based not on their skills but rather their relationship with the boss, are quickly cast out from co-workers. Sometimes this sort of treatment does not get to the point where the individual is concerned but there is also the other extreme where the work environment becomes unbearable due to the bitterness and attitudes projected from the co-workers.

There was a particular man that was a "kiss up". Prior to his hiring, he had been fired from all of his previous places of employment. In his new job, he fed into the CEO's ego. He quickly climbed the corporate ladder. On the way up, he cared for no one and "stepped" on many people to make himself continue to look good to the CEO. Among the other employees, the man became the punch line of office jokes. His work was poor, his ethics were poor, but he could charm the CEO and knew the right words to say to make the CEO feel powerful. Eventually, things caught up with this employee. Co-workers stopped helping him and fixing his projects. Some became bold and would blatantly call out this employee's lack of capability for holding his position. When all of this caught up with the CEO, the employee was let go. There were no benefits held in this situation and this is one that is very common in the business world.

Instead of pretending to be someone that you are not and risking your reputation and future by feeding into someone else's ego, just take the knowledge that you already posses and grow from there.

Learn more about this author, Traci McCaughey.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

more options

hide

Add your voice

Know something about Kissing up to your boss is a must if you want to get ahead ?
We want to hear your view. Write now!