Brown-Nosing 101

Career Tip #14 - First step in your Brown-nosing Public Relations plan

Everyone needs a promotion PR plan.  Have YOU identified those people in your organization and industry who may have influence over the path your career takes?  Once you have done this, the next step in this process is to identify your objectives.  What do you want?  Do you want new job? A promotion?  A raise?  A move to a different department?  To work on a particular project?  To change companies or industries or fields of endeavor? 

This will require some soul searching on your part because your plan must be calculating and yet authentic.  Why?  We all know when a brownnoser is being deceitful, don't we?  Do you want to be counted among them?  Or do you want to beat them at their own game?  To beat them at their own game and to reap the benefits that are rightfully yours you must be sincere about your effort.  You must truly believe that the promotion, raise, project, job, etc. are in the best interest of EVERYONE involved, not just you. 

Another Quick Brown-Nosing Tip - What are your Assets?

Today, I've got a quick tip for you to help you understand the power and the tools you have at your disposal when trying to outmaneuver brownnosers at work. 

The other night I watched a finance class talk about assets and how they are used to help a company make money.  Hum, I thought.  When it comes right down to it, we all have assets that we use to make money. They are called our skills, knowledge, abilities, education, perspectives, experience, expertise, attitudes....

Have you ever watched a brownnoser with his or her boss?  The brown-noser ALWAYS knows what he brings to the table in terms of his assets.  It may just be a word of encouragement with little substance behind it, but he knows when someone needs encouraging, doesn't he?  Isn't that why we dislike him so?  It's as if he's got a some sort of tracking device that can sniff out opportunities to get in front of the boss and look good.  Not so - he simply knows what his assets are and then puts them into play to help him make money, friends, influence people, get jobs, get your promotion, etc.

Here's what I want you to do.  Take an inventory or your assets.  How can you possibly position yourself or your ideas if you don't know what you have to offer?  Be careful - this requires some soul-searching and an honest attempt to assess yourself.  Don't discount anything and don't assume that simply because you aren't allowed to use an asset at this particular time that it should not be on your list.

Brown-nosing and Politics

Over the weekend I heard a story on our local public radio station that cracked me up. Apparently there was some guy in the city who was running for office in his precinct but having trouble getting the required number of signatures necessary to eliminate the hefty filing fee. So, because HE is having trouble he decided to sue, claiming that the requirement is unfair and a hardship on some people. Wahhh…..wahhhh.

What a whiner. “It’s too hard. You need to make it easier for me.” One of the commentators made a good point. “Politics is tough. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. And it certainly isn’t fair.”

That’s pretty much what getting ahead in business is all about, too. It takes effort beyond the basics. It’s not always easy and it certainly isn’t always fair. It means getting out of your office and pressing the flesh (visibility and networking) , getting to know others (networking, connecting and visibility) and letting them know what you stand for (connecting, visibility, positioning) and how you can help them achieve their goals (positioning, networking connecting).

Don't beat brown-nosers, join them!

While reviewing the key words that people search to find this site, I discoverd that the phrase 'beat brown-nosers' comes up quite frequently. I find this interesting because it says that people perceive Brown-nosers to be some sort of a threat; otherwise why bother trying to beat them at anything?

My thoughts on this are very unambiguous.  People want to beat brownnosers because they are winning the game.  What most people fail to recognize is that these corporate brown nosers who are schmoozing the boss and getting ahead are using critical business and people skills that the rest of us need to master. The only way you can actually beat someone at their own game by actually playing the game!!  DUH!!!

Brown nosers and Paranoia

Those of you who know me know that I'm a cancer survivor --- three years and counting.  These past couple of weeks have been my semi-annual round of appointments -- MRIs, oncologist appointments, follow up visits with the surgeon ---- along with the some additional ultra sounds and a visit with the dermatologist.

I was sitting in one of these appointments when I started thinking that many people refuse to use the powerful skills that brown-nosers use (remaining visible, positioning, networking and connecting) because they are afraid of how they will be perceived.  Some of them are even paranoid that in todays corporate environment it is best to keep a low profile since they are uneasy about their ability to keep their jobs. 

But does this make sense?  In an environment where one's ability to add measureable value is of paramount importance, does it make sense to dial back your efforts?  It seems to me that now, more than ever, it is time to help the organization fully realize just how valuable you are. Now, more than ever, it is time to do something different. 

Think about it...

L