The Monetary Value of Being Liked

[oldtoyota]

Recently, I read articles about how being liked is more important than being competent.

This is one of the many articles I read:
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/04/29/will-you-get-promoted-take-the-test/

It got me thinking about the monetary value of being liked. At my job, I am smart and get a LOT of work done. A lot of people do like me. However, maybe I need to work on getting my boss to like me better.

I have to give this topic some more thought.

How important do you think it is to work hard on being liked to get promoted, more money, etc? As I read more about it, I'm starting to think being liked is more important than an advanced degree (at least in my field).

[Dynasty]

Life is a popularity contest.

[Joel]

Relationships and interaction usually have a very big role in most jobs. Interacting with clients, customers, bosses, peers, and subordinates is very important unless you work in a completely isolated position. There's something to be said for the ability to work well with others and build those relationships. It even applies to accoutants and it people, who you would typically think of as "boring" or not social.

[gooki]

Don't forget your bosses boss if you want to move up.

[cerberusss]

Relationships and interaction usually have a very big role in most jobs. Interacting with clients, It even applies to accoutants and it people

I'm in IT and my manager knows exactly who does and doesn't get energy from helping our internal clients. On the other hand, sometimes you need a guy who can dig in and fix an esoteric technical problem. But that's not that often :-)

It's a very interesting question. I think you can raise your value by doing a few trainings, they're called "soft skill" trainings in our company.

[hybrid]

I'm also in IT and the nerdy stereotypes apply all too often.  I have often felt that being an extroverted person has served me well, especially since the expectations are so low to begin with.  I am well liked at my firm and although that does not translate into more money, it has advantages that are hard to quantify.

But I have to be competent first and foremost, being likable is secondary to keeping the systems up and running.

I would say that in my field being well-rounded is a big asset.  There are plenty of propeller heads that have better skills set than me, but many of them could not do my job as well overall.   

[mgbrin]

I agree that it can be valuable.....if you want to continue the corporate life.  But if you don't want to be a "suck up" for the rest of your career, MMM principles can help free you from it IMO.  I was a highly competent project manager for a top financial firm, and consistently received high reviews for my abilities both from my supervisors and from our internal customers.  Yet, when a new management team was brought in, and our departments were restructured, and my bosses were reassigned, I was one who was not retained in a round of cuts.  The word on the street tells me it's because I was too good--I was a bit of a bulldog in getting things done.   I felt bad that I had not done more with "relationships" but in retrospect what I wish now is that I hadn't been greatly in debt so that returning to the corporate world hadn't been a requirement.  In other words, I wish I had known about MMM in those days.

[oldtoyota]

Don't forget your bosses boss if you want to move up.

This one is tricky. I do not see the boss of my boss very much. And, of course, it would not be okay to go around my boss.

I do meet with her on a monthly basis (with my boss, of course) to show what I'm doing. She offers high praise--not easy to come by from her--every time. So, I am even more baffled as to why I've not been promoted.