Whether we call it bootlicking, apple-polishing, kissing up, managing up, or dozens of other less delicate terms, currying favor can be painful for everyone. Currying favor is that behavior of a subordinate intended to make the boss feel good, especially about the subordinate.
When someone curries favor, peers can feel stress. To counteract the tactic, peers tend to defend themselves, or to attack the currier. When they do, they can appear to be petty or vengeful. Whether or not they respond, peers can lose status and suffer career damage.

Photo from the Special Collections of U.S. National Agricultural Library courtesy Wikipedia.
Here are some common favor-currying tactics.
- Flattery
- Compliments about personal attire are especially popular because they're ambiguous — they provide tests of the effectiveness of the strategy. If the tactics work, the currier moves on to compliment more personal attributes.
- Mimicry
- Forms of mimicry include adopting the mannerisms, speech, or dress of the boss. But mimicry can go much deeper, including acquiring identical interests in specific foods, particular professional sports or teams, political alignment, religious affiliation, or charities.
- Subtle psychological manipulation
- Compliments about
personal attire are
especially popular
because they're
ambiguous - To make the boss feel smart or useful or important, the currier can seek advice, guidance, or support from the boss when it really isn't necessary. Although these tactics can be difficult to identify, they're transparent to some, especially to those who've used them personally, or who have experienced their use by others.
- Excessive, ostentatious dedication
- Many of us work long hours. But those who consistently do so in a manner that makes the effort visible to the boss could be currying favor. Similarly, most of us agree occasionally to "step up" to impossible tasks. But those who jump to do so in a highly visible way could be currying favor.
- Adoration
- Opportunities to express adoration abound. One favorite is making obvious efforts to sit beside the boss at meetings, presentations, or lunches, and competing with others for the "honor."
- Fulfilling the boss's dreams
- When groups debate strategy, curriers often propose "solutions" that please the boss, whether or not the solutions are feasible.
Currying favor corrupts. It harms the organization, first by creating tension among its people. But when it works, it can be as toxic as bribery or extortion, because it distorts decisions. And that means that the organization might act (or not) for reasons other than organizational interests.
Organizations must make decisions on their merits, whether the issue is the substance of the work, the configuration of the organization, or the advancement of personnel. Influencing those decisions by currying favor weakens the organization, which threatens us all.
What can you do if one of your peers uses these tactics? Next time. Top
Next Issue
Is every other day a tense, anxious, angry misery as you watch people around you, who couldn't even think their way through a game of Jacks, win at workplace politics and steal the credit and glory for just about everyone's best work including yours? Read 303 Secrets of Workplace Politics, filled with tips and techniques for succeeding in workplace politics. More info
For an outstanding example of a currier in action, watch the character "Sgt. Red O'Neill," played by John C. McGinley in the 1986 film Platoon. (Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe; Director: Oliver Stone). Order from Amazon.com.
Because currying favor can be risky, practitioners often use indirect tactics. See "The True Costs of Indirectness," Point Lookout for November 29, 2006, for more on indirectness.
Your comments are welcome
Would you like to see your comments posted here? rbrenaXXxGCwVgbgLZDuRner@ChacDjdMAATPdDNJnrSwoCanyon.comSend me your comments by email, or by Web form.About Point Lookout
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and
found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.
This article in its entirety was written by a human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.
Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.
Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.
Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.
Related articles
More articles on Workplace Politics:
Managing Risk Revision
- Prudent risk management begins by accepting the possibility that unpleasant events might actually happen.
But when organizations try to achieve goals that are a bit out of reach, they're often tempted to stretch
resources by revising or denying risks. Here's a tactic for managing risk revision.
Fooling Ourselves
- Humans have impressive abilities to convince themselves of things that are false. One explanation for
this behavior is the theory of cognitive dissonance.
Behavioral Indicators of Political Risk
- Avoiding dangerous political interactions is easier if you know what to look for. Among the indicators
of possible trouble are the behaviors of the people around you.
More Things I've Learned Along the Way: VI
- When I gain an important insight, or when I learn a lesson, I make a note. Example: If you're interested
in changing how a social construct operates, knowing how it came to be the way it is can be much less
useful than knowing what keeps it the way it is.
Briefing Uphill
- Briefing small groups is a common occurrence for members of most organizations. Briefing executives
is one of the more challenging forms of such exercises. Here are 14 guidelines for briefing uphill successfully.
See also Workplace Politics for more related articles.
Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout
Coming July 23: Microdelegation
- Microdelegation is a style of delegation in which the delegator unintentionally communicates the task to the subordinate in such detail and so repetitively that the subordinate is offended. As a result of this delegation style, many subordinates feel distrusted or suspected of fraud or goldbricking. Available here and by RSS on July 23.
And on July 30: What the Dunning-Kruger Effect Actually Is
- Although the Dunning-Kruger Effect is widely recognized, people describe it — and understand it — in many different ways. Some of these expressions are misleading. Proceed with caution. Available here and by RSS on July 30.
Coaching services
I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenaXXxGCwVgbgLZDuRner@ChacDjdMAATPdDNJnrSwoCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.
Get the ebook!
Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:
- Get 2001-2 in Geese Don't Land on Twigs (PDF, )
- Get 2003-4 in Why Dogs Wag (PDF, )
- Get 2005-6 in Loopy Things We Do (PDF, )
- Get 2007-8 in Things We Believe That Maybe Aren't So True (PDF, )
- Get 2009-10 in The Questions Not Asked (PDF, )
- Get all of the first twelve years (2001-2012) in The Collected Issues of Point Lookout (PDF, )
Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500-1000 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info
Follow Rick
Recommend this issue to a friend
Send an email message to a friend
rbrenaXXxGCwVgbgLZDuRner@ChacDjdMAATPdDNJnrSwoCanyon.comSend a message to Rick
A Tip A Day feed
Point Lookout weekly feed


Beware any resource that speaks of "winning" at workplace politics or "defeating" it. You can benefit or not, but there is no score-keeping, and it isn't a game.
- Wikipedia has a nice article with a list of additional resources
- Some public libraries offer collections. Here's an example from Saskatoon.
- Check my own links collection
- LinkedIn's Office Politics discussion group