You're probably thinking? Why does an employee have to butter up the boss? Well, think of it as a tradition that goes way way back. It probably began earlier than we think. Remember Teacher's Pet? To make a good impression on the teacher meant better treatment of the student. Staying after the school and dusting off the blackboard earned some points. Bringing the teacher an apple brought a smile to her/his face and earned more points. The teacher was bound to be favourable to that particular student who stood out. The student got to be in his/her good books and special attention was paid to that student.

Similarly, earning points with your supervisor is bound to have a favourable effect. In my several years of work experience, I learned that in order to earn points with my boss, I'd have to get on his/her good side. The way in which I chose to do this may be termed as 'buttering up'. I learned that if my boss favoured me, I benefited from it. This is not to mean that I did not pull my weight on the job. It just meant that if I needed a favour from time to time, my boss was not about to quickly refuse, instead, he/she would give careful consideration. All because I had taken steps to get to know the boss well enough. I'll give a couple of examples of times when I buttered up a boss.

In one particular job, my boss was a stressed out individual from having been given too much respoonsibility. She snarled at all her employees and didn't give them the time of day. One day, by accident, I found out that she liked cats. From that day on, I began asking about her cats and telling her about mine. We exchanged cat stories and pretty soon, she was smiling more and even humming a tune. I knew that I had struck a chord with her. You may say that I had buttered her up.

Another similar experience is when our lab got a new supervisor who was a tyrant. Nothing anyone did satisfied this man. He was a workaholic and didn't appreciate that not everyone was. My co-workers and I loved our jobs but we also wanted to take our breaks on time and leave work on time so we could pick up our children, attend appointments etc. This boss was rather relentless. I found out that he loved his coffee. Pretty soon, I brought in a coffee maker and offered to make coffee and bring it to him a couple of times a day. By and by, he cheered up and was less of a tyrant and more considerate not just to me but all of us.

So, all in all, buttering up the boss need not be seen in a negative sense, but almost necessary in the workplace if you want to earn points with the supervisor. It serves the purpose of letting the supervisor know that she/he exists as a human being and is cared for as one. I'd go as far as saying that when the boss is well buttered up and feels nurtured, she/he is ready to nurture the employee.

Learn more about this author, Mena Pratt.
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