Janet CollinsOffice Politics
April 16th 2009 20:44
"Sucking Up" - or should I refer to it in the more polite term as "managing up" - has become pretty standard practice in the workplace over decades. Is the practice of “sucking up to the boss” really good for business and the worker? Even experts can’t agree on that one but even opponents of this work strategy acknowledge that adopting “managing up” strategies can pay off.
We are in a time when many people are becoming increasingly worried about losing their jobs and ingratiating themselves to their bosses seems a small price to pay to hang on to them, some experts say.
An article by Ellen Wulfhorst on Reuters this week concluded that the whole practice of “sucking up” was bad for business, but not everyone Wulfhorst quoted in her article agreed.
There have been quite a few books written on the subject over the years and some academics have specialised in the area of psychology in the workplace. One is Jennifer Catman, a professor of organisational behaviour at the University of California, and she is forecasting a surge in this work conduct.
Workers are more inclined to “manage up” she says when stakes are high and people feel vulnerable to the decisions of others. Catman is far from an advocate of this behaviour saying that lavishing praise on a boss for bad decisions can be very bad for business. She is not alone.
Bill Hanover, author of “No Sucking Up” condemns this whole behaviour. Sucking-up or faking your way to a promotion, he says, will leave you ashamed and wanting. That’s not to say that lavishing praise on the boss doesn’t work.
A recent University of Texas study found that challenging a chief executive less, complimenting the CEO more and doing the CEO a personal favour increased the likelihood of being appointed to a corporate board by 64 per cent. In a separate study, Chatman found that job-seekers using ingratiating behaviour were 30 percent more likely to land a job.
The practice has been documented back to our primates. A few years ago, Live Science ran an article about the results of a study by Gabriele Schino of the National Research Council in Rome. The study about primate grooming, focused on why monkeys pick dead skin and bugs from the fur of higher-ranking monkeys. The study concluded that they do it in exchange for backing in fights.
Similar studies had been conducted in the late 70s and 80s by psychologist Robert Seyfarth, who also concluded that monkeys did this for support. Syfarth’s hypothesis was condemned by other scientists which was easy to do because the studies didn’t use large enough samples to come to that conclusion. So Schino included more evidence. He ran statistical tests on 36 relevant studies carried out on 14 different primate species.
Primates, Schino explained, live in societies where individuals often come to blows over food or access to mates, as well as climb the ladder to alpha-hood. When witnessing a conflict between two group-mates, a third party must choose which contestant to back.
Schino found this choice is at least partially determined by past grooming received from each mate, with frequent groomers receiving more frequent support from those served. It’s a kind of reciprocal altruism.
While monkeys and other primates accept this practice among the animal kingdom, “sucking up”, while an age-old practice at work for humans, is not entirely accepted. A recent article in Forbes Magazine, emphasised an art to the behaviour. Faith Ralston, an organisational leadership coach, says that sucking up is the key to your success at work. It is self-survival, Ralston says, but the key is being covert.
Ralston’s tips for playing the game at work include figuring out your boss’ style and adapting to it and giving the boss what he wants, even if you would rather work another way. Never complain or fight about it, she says, because no-one wants to work with a fighter.
John Hoover, an executive coach at Partners Human Resources Int., advises against telling the boss you have a better idea, suggesting that you always make it seem like the boss’ idea.
If we put all this together, we can safely say that even though “sucking up” to the boss is not universally condoned, it is accepted practice for those who want to remain in a job and not have their careers killed in what is a tough market at the moment. Employees have to be clever about it though, never making it obvious that it’s what they’re up to.
Sources:
www.reuters.com
www.livescience.com
www.forbes.com
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
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Movie Train
Comment by colocountry
Like you, I'm always fascinated by the latest corporate model of leadership. I have lived through the 'Collaborative Model' and even survived the 'Divine Revelation' model but the much more subtle 'Distributive Leadership' model is by far the most sinister that I have faced in 35 years in the workplace. This theory places absolute authority in the boss. No interference is accepted!! It is because I say it is!! Interesting isnt it that we advance our civilisation by reverting to feudal notions of absolute supremacy and a subservient, grovelling underclass! Mmmmm11
Col
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
If you don't like the boss it is even harder to "suck up" I reckon but according to all these experts its the only way to get on if that's what you want to do.
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
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Janet Collins Blog
It's amost like a Monty Python movie isn't it? Thanks for the visit.
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
I used to approach my uni essays this way.
I knew what I thought on a particular subject but generally pandered to the school of thought that the tutor of the day subscribed to.
I didn't feel like a suck up because I knew that uni would only go for a finite time and getting good marks would serve a greater purpose.
I don't think I could suck up in a work environment. I'm not sure I have.
Although I know that working freelance is much more calming for my nerves than working for the same boss day in day out.
But there will always be someone willing to suck up on a regular basis.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
We all work that one out at uni quickly, don't we? Working freelance does give people a lot more freedom that working for one boss day in, day out. The only problem is that the ingratiating behaviour is sometimes needed for the clients! It is much better though.
This was really meant for a lot of fun dating this behaviour back to the behaviour of primates. It must be said though, some people are forced into this kind of behaviour not out of choice, but for survival.
Thanks a lot for the comment.