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? rbrenRdDrbchJwEDggeYqner@ChacpLSglvgmcLagEcsfoCanyon.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:
Lateral Micromanagement
- Lateral micromanagement is the unwelcome intrusion by one co-worker into the responsibilities of another.
Far more than run-of-the-mill bossiness, it's often a concerted attempt to gain organizational power
and rank, and it is toxic to teams.
Grace Under Fire: II
- When we debate at work, things sometimes turn unpleasant. Out of control, one party might maneuver the
other into losing control. If we have better tools for recognizing these tactics, we're better able
to maintain self-control. Here's Part II of such a toolkit.
I Don't Understand: II
- Unclear, incomplete, or ambiguous statements are problematic, in part, because we need to seek clarification.
How can we do that without seeming to be hostile, threatening, or disrespectful?
Surviving Incompetence: II
- When your organization undertakes a misguided effort that will certainly fail, you have options. One
is to head for the exit. To search for a new position in such circumstances requires some care. Example:
an internal transfer might not really be an exit.
Quasi-Narcissistic Quasi-Subordinates
- One troublesome kind of workplace collaboration includes those that combine people of varied professions
and ranks for a specific short-term mission. Many work well, but when one of the group members displays
quasi-narcissistic behaviors, trouble looms.
See also Workplace Politics for more related articles.
Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout
Coming June 11: 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. Available here and by RSS on June 11.
And on June 18: Meandering Monologues in Meetings: Time
- In a meeting, a meandering monologue has taken over when someone speaks at length with no sign of coming to a clear point, with no clear direction, and with little evidence of relevance to the topic at hand. This behavior wastes time, reduces engagement, and delays decisions. Available here and by RSS on June 18.
Coaching services
I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenRdDrbchJwEDggeYqner@ChacpLSglvgmcLagEcsfoCanyon.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
rbrenRdDrbchJwEDggeYqner@ChacpLSglvgmcLagEcsfoCanyon.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