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The smart girl's guide to sucking up
Everyone wants to score brownie points at work, but no one wants to be the office brown-nose. Here's how to be the apple of your boss' eye - without selling your soul.
Flattery pays off
Do: Praise your boss when she's done something to deserve it - for instance, congratulate her when she succeeded in handling a difficult client, or send her a thank you e-mail for mentoring you on a project.
"It's a way of reinforcing what's working well," says Sabreena Andriesz, personal coach and director of local coaching firm The Conscious Choice.
Don't: Drop compliments on trivial things too often.
Using lines like "great shoes", "great outfit" and "nice necklace" on a regular basis is a classic brown-nose trait, says Tim Egold, managing director of corporate training company, Dale Carnegie Training Singapore.
Be a copycat
Do: Observe and emulate your boss' working style.
If she's a dynamic go-getter, try to match her pace. Likewise, if she's methodical, make sure your reports are thorough and detailed.
"Matching energy levels and styles helps because we like to associate with similar people," Tim says.
Don't: Parrot everything your boss says - especially when you think her ideas suck.
Be honest without showing her up, and she'll value you as someone with constructive feedback.
Sabreena suggests saying something like: "Your idea could work in a specific instance but not in this context because of 'xyz'. Can we consider some other ways?"
Master the art of water cooler talk
Do: Find out what your boss' interests are and learn more.
"If she loves bags from a particular brand, walk through the brand's boutique to see what's new," Tim suggests.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about her hobbies.
Don't: Stalk your boss on social media to "collect" information and raise it later during a conversation ("Hey boss, those were interesting photos of your leadership conference").
It can come across as rehearsed and insincere - or worse, creepy.
"If you follow your boss on Facebook or Twitter for 'research', it will seem like the underlying intent is to spy," says Tim.
If your boss posts an update that catches your eye, Tim recommends you comment on it there and then - don't save it for later.
Everyone wants to score brownie points at work, but no one wants to be the office brown-nose. Here's how to be the apple of your boss' eye - without selling your soul.
Flattery pays off
Do: Praise your boss when she's done something to deserve it - for instance, congratulate her when she succeeded in handling a difficult client, or send her a thank you e-mail for mentoring you on a project.
"It's a way of reinforcing what's working well," says Sabreena Andriesz, personal coach and director of local coaching firm The Conscious Choice.
Don't: Drop compliments on trivial things too often.
Using lines like "great shoes", "great outfit" and "nice necklace" on a regular basis is a classic brown-nose trait, says Tim Egold, managing director of corporate training company, Dale Carnegie Training Singapore.
Be a copycat
Do: Observe and emulate your boss' working style.
If she's a dynamic go-getter, try to match her pace. Likewise, if she's methodical, make sure your reports are thorough and detailed.
"Matching energy levels and styles helps because we like to associate with similar people," Tim says.
Don't: Parrot everything your boss says - especially when you think her ideas suck.
Be honest without showing her up, and she'll value you as someone with constructive feedback.
Sabreena suggests saying something like: "Your idea could work in a specific instance but not in this context because of 'xyz'. Can we consider some other ways?"
Master the art of water cooler talk
Do: Find out what your boss' interests are and learn more.
"If she loves bags from a particular brand, walk through the brand's boutique to see what's new," Tim suggests.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about her hobbies.
Don't: Stalk your boss on social media to "collect" information and raise it later during a conversation ("Hey boss, those were interesting photos of your leadership conference").
It can come across as rehearsed and insincere - or worse, creepy.
"If you follow your boss on Facebook or Twitter for 'research', it will seem like the underlying intent is to spy," says Tim.
If your boss posts an update that catches your eye, Tim recommends you comment on it there and then - don't save it for later.
