One of the various impression management techniques that people use in the workplace is flattering or complimenting a person. Many people believe that flattery has a positive impact on career prospects. Vicky Oliver, author of 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, suggests using flattery to ask for a raise. Oliver advises employees to use other impression management techniques, such as self-promotion (e.g., highlighting your accomplishments) and enhancement (e.g., showing how your work is superior to your peers), but she also suggests complimenting or strategically “flattering” the boss before sitting down to talk about a salary raise.

Does flattery always work? The answer is yes and no. Flattery may influence someone in power but only if they see the flattery as sincere. Seeming sincere may be especially difficult, however, because people who have the most power are often the hardest to fool. After all, they have more experience with people flattering them. Recent research suggests that there may be a way to make flattery more effective: Try to convince yourself that you actually like the person you are flattering. In the study, employees who spent more time considering what they had in common with their boss were more likely to obtain their goal through flattery. Even if an employee is successful using flattery, it has one major drawback. Another recent study found that executives who flatter their CEOs are more likely to resent their CEO later on. Though CEOs do not require their employees to compliment them, many employees feel demeaned when they go to great lengths to strategically flatter the boss. Employees who complimented their CEOs were also more likely to complain to third parties about their boss. Some even complained to journalists.

Questions 

1. What are some other consequences of using flattery at work? Why do these consequences occur? 

2. The study described in this case also found that executives resented directing flattery toward female and minority CEOs more than white males. Why do you think this finding is true? 

3. Are there impression management techniques that are more effective than flattery?