Kissing ass: sucking up to your boss (how to do it better)

Always always always, be the person that is good at your job, rather than the person who gets solely through the career ladder simply by kissing ass. I would like to say eventually those that kiss-ass would have a fall from grace – but there are some superb ass-kissers out there that I think we could all learn from.

That said, what does it really mean to ‘suck up to the boss’ or to ‘kiss-ass’ (because the literal interpretation is something you definitely don’t want to do!) Essentially it is responding to the soft-needs of your supervisor, impressing them by giving them what they want to hear/see, being a ‘yes’ person. It can include cutting corners, being overtly positive, being engaging and proactive. It concentrates on what the supervisor needs, rather than what the work content needs. Okay – so it can include always buying the coffee (isn’t that something you would do for a colleague?) or prioritising short term goals over the long-term gain.

The formal definition: A Kiss ass is commonly known as a person who will go to many lengths to look impressive, good, and worthy towards another person or group of higher social standing. This is usually due to their need to ascend in the ranks of their workplace, school, or society in general.

Why is that so bad? Isn’t part of our role the requirement to meet the tasks set by your supervisor? Having supervised staff, I am impressed by those that try to read me and to proactively respond or consider my next move to be a step ahead. There are some qualities within a proficient ass-kisser that we can really adopt.

How about instead of ‘kissing-ass’ we use “How to impress your boss”? Here are some quick fire ways to impress the boss:

1. Be in the know of whats happening. Many people in senior supervisory roles are too busy locked up in their office to hear the banter and issues on the floor. No – not just the gossip (well, maybe a little), but having contacts, who is looking after what piece of work, a news article making the rounds etc. Being informed and opening up doors is a great way to impress. After all, communicating between senior managers can be virtually impossible since they are always too busy to respond to each other, so knowing other contacts can be a blessing.

2. Show genuine interest and provide genuine responses. How many times have you zoned out of meetings where it appears that the senior manager is the only one talking? Actively listening and asking thoughtful questions shows interest, even if the subject or the manner of delivery is less than inspiring. Too often meetings end with no-one asking a question. Have an informed opinion.

3. Respond to your bosses’ requests promptly. How many times supervisors wonder if their staff have received the message or are actioning an item. It is surprising how few people actually respond or acknowledge the requests. In many cases, it is the small, non-time sensitive requests that are left to the bottom of the pile, when really they are the things that you have been requested to complete. Acknowledge requests promptly and indicate a time for the task to be completed.

4. Be the person that is known to get stuff done. You don’t have to be the last person in the office, but if you commit to doing something, then do it and do it timely. People who kiss ass always seem to have the immediate work required by the supervisor done quickly. Yes, quality counts, but the appropriate level of quality is all that is required. Sometimes, a perfect answer is not needed.

5. Be active in the workplace – the person that knows how to unjam a photocopy machine is a living legend, the person that takes pride in their area by contributing to routine things like clearing up the kitchen, or picking up waste on the floor are workplace heros. No, its doesn’t mean doing it every day, but being proactive on unpopular issues can make your noticed.

6. Know your industry – media clips, journals, thought pieces. It’s easier than ever to pick these up through RSS feeds or simple google search, but taking the time to read through and send around shows proactive interest.

7. Finally – doing your job well and being relied on to do a good job.

So why do we have a problem with people who overtly kiss-ass? Maybe we are the one’s needing an attitude adjustment? Or is it because we are the ones sitting in the back, diligently doing our work but for whatever reason, holding back? Altruistic approaches to work are just that – not always rewarded. Unfortunately people are people with fallacies and prejudice. From your boss’s perspective, who is more engaged? The one that responds to their needs? or the person who responds… a little bit later with less of a smile?

Nevertheless, I can acknowledge that there are many people who kiss-ass that are poor performers and less of a team player. Considering the number of people in senior roles who were proficient ass-kissers, there must be something more. Imagine the combination of being damn good at your job and kissing-ass?