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Why do suck-ups get ahead at work?

Posted by admin on May 28, 2009 in Jobs

Every work-place has at least one: the worker who laughs just a little too hard at the boss’ jokes, the employee who is shocked-just shocked- you would say something remotely negative about the company or the big ole’ suck-up. For the silent work-place majority, they are, to say the least, annoying but even more galling they seemed to out-last everyone and get the promotions.

Why?

We tend to think of our jobs and careers as badges we earn like we are in the boy-scouts or girl guides. Obtain a MBA and that’s a badge on the resume. Complete a training course and that’s another badge and so and so on.  It is easy to fall into this trap. You are hired on resume so the more you focus on degrees, designations and hard skills acquired, the better your resume looks.

But this overlooks a fundamental aspect that bosses look for: attitude. I have hired and fired everything from the secretary to sales managers to vice-presidents. At some level, skill set basically mushes into an inconsequential differentiator in my mind. What is the difference between a secretary that can type 65 words per minute and 70 words per minute? They type fast. Period. A manager with a B.Comm, MBA, CSC and CFA does not really have that much value add to say a manager with a B.Comm, MA and MBA. They are both well educated on paper.

Instead, I would argue the separation is attitude. For every suck up at work there’s also the really nice person who is competent but really doesn’t want to work there. Given their smarts and skill, they do just enough to keep their job but their heart is not in it. I know I have had jobs where I did just enough to collect my pay cheque.

Throw enough money at someone and you can acquire skill. But you can’t buy attitude. You either love your job and the people you work with and for or you don’t.

Bosses know people are sucking up to them but, in a round-about way, suck-ups are implicitly showing their boss that they have a positive attitude about the company (even if it is a complete lie, at least they make the effort) and its always good for the boss’ ego to think they have created a positive work atmosphere. Thus, they tend to keep the suck-ups around (yes, they know its wrong but they are the boss).

What drives bosses insane is the talented employee who looks like they are mailing it in. If you are a parent, you understand this if you have a talented child who doesn’t apply themselves in the way you think they should. You are driven batty by this. Why can’t they put more energy into work? Why do they look like they don’t want to be there? If only they try harder, they could make management!

Setting aside problems at home and other personal crisis, this frustration comes down to a boss perceiving that an employee does not have a good attitude to work and they tend to be more vulnerable in down-times.

For example, I have worked in two places that experienced lay-offs. In both instances, there was someone who clearly should not have been laid off given they were more skilled or more well-liked than those who stayed but I ended up thinking “well, its probably for the best. They really didn’t want to be here anymore.” In other words, they displayed an attitude that made the decision to lay them off easier.

One final story: I once worked in an office that shared a common receptionist. We once had a receptionist that was vastly experienced and competent, having worked at large companies and understanding all the computer programs inside out. She only lasted 6 months. Why? She had a bad attitude: she snapped at other staff, left the second the clock hit 5:00 pm and she stuck to herself. The office manager had to let her go for the sole reason of having a bad attitude.

You can’t fake attitude for long (or it catches up to you) but if you sometimes wonder why someone gets ahead of you or who to hire, think about attitude.