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Mention the term "kissing up" and baby boomers think of Eddie Haskell, the ultimate "kiss up" on the sixties show Leave It to Beaver. Eddie, best friend to Beaver's brother Wally and an endless tease to the Beave, would pour on the charm with the adults, especially parents. "My, what a lovely dress you are wearing today, Mrs. Cleaver" is a typical Eddie line. But all the viewers, and the other characters on the show, saw through Eddie's artfulness. You see Eddie had it all wrong.
It wasn't the kissing up that was the problem; it was that Eddie was solely concerned with himself and his own goals. That is what makes kissing-up a problem at work. A fine line exists between what to do and what not to do when it comes to kissing-up in business. You cross the line when your actions serve only yourself and not the interest of your boss and the interest of the organization. The wise employee must be aware of the difference. His actions should be aimed at satisfying his own career goals while also showing a dedication to his boss and a loyalty to the company.
A “good” kiss-up is also a good co-worker. He doesn’t stab people in the back. He is trust worthy and he gives credit where credit is due. He is a pleasure to work with, he has lots of friends and he gets the job done. He is a likeable person and when he succeeds we are not surprised. Want to be a “good” kiss-up?
What To Do
Make Your Boss Look Good. Your boss never wants to look unprepared or uninformed. She cherishes employees she can count on to make her shine. Know what information she relies on and keep it updated. Make it your business to keep her up to the minute on all pertinent information for her weekly or monthly senior staff meetings. If your boss is ill prepared for a meeting, give her a heads-up briefing. If she has a weak presentation, beef it up. If she needs help preparing for a Monday morning presentation, offer to come in over the weekend. Don't let her ever get caught looking as though she is not in control.
Do Everything Without Being Asked Twice - Your boss’s requests deserve immediate attention. If your workload is such that you are unable to get to the project by the deadline given, discuss priorities. If you are able, under promise and over deliver. Tell him you will have the report to him by Tuesday morning, but deliver it to him Monday afternoon. Finish your work ahead of schedule. Never let your boss come to you asking for a project that you neglected to submit.
Arrive Early and Leave Late -. Those early hours before everyone else arrives gives you time to plan your day. Look around and you'll see the senior people are usually in early. Coming in late gives the impression you don't like your job. After the majority of people have left for the day, let your boss know you are leaving in case she needs you for one last thing.
Seek Out Friendships and Contacts with People. The term networking is often used to describe haphazardly distributing business cards to whoever seems important. What is more effective is actually knowing people. Learn about the people you meet. Learn about their lives and where you can identify common interests. These type relationships will lead to future business interactions. Learn ways in which you can be of help to them. Work on your people skills. Become a person that the people in power want to be around.
Identify Problems and Solve Them – Don’t wait to be told to fix a problem. Take the initiative. Do a little research and keep your ear to the ground to identify the big problems; the ones that the senior people are most concerned with. Work on solutions and write up your own proposals. If you notice that a better process can be implemented to cut costs or reduce time, present the idea to the decision makers. Prepare presentations for senior management where you can get some high visibility.
What Not To Do
Over Praising the Bosses Performance – Let your bosses work speak for itself. An occasional complement directed toward his ability is certainly acceptable but don’t lay it on too thick. Too many complements begin to sound smarmy.
Putting Others Down In Front of Superiors – Usually done to make yourself look good, this always fails. You don’t stand a chance of succeeding in business unless you treat everyone with respect, kindness and courtesy. If you don’t have something nice to say to say, don’t say anything.
Making Attempts to Commingle Socially with the Higher Ups – You may think it is a good idea to become friends with your boss – join the same clubs, contrive common meetings, but it isn’t. You are business associates. Your talent on the job is enough to get you the recognition you are seeking. When you travel on business, avoid traveling with the senior executives. You should use the hotel and airplane time to work and not distract them from what they want to do.
Changing Loyalties to Suit Your Own Advantage –Your most treasured asset in business should be the trust of the senior people in the organization. Once you’ve lost it, it is impossible to get back. They need to know they can count on your loyalty. Don’t sway with the political winds. While working for your boss your loyalty is to him. Don’t go around or above him. If you have a problem, go to him and work it out. Do not get caught up in office gossip. If someone says something is confidential, tell him or her you would rather not hear it. Don’t ask. Don’t tell. Just work hard.
Agreeing Only to Perform Work that Gets the Most Visibility – While it is a good idea to make sure your hard work is seen and you receive credit for a job well done, don’t avoid the grunt work. Every office has it and it has to get done. Many corporate executives got their start in the mailroom. If they had not performed their entry-level jobs well, they never would have risen in their careers. Also, your staff should see that you are all working for the good of the company. Make sure you remember to give 100 percent credit to everyone involved in the effort.
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