Date: Friday, February 19, 2016

Participants

(From 12 countries)

Host: Johny

Teams

Panel PRO (Team A): Suren, Zeinab, Mohiuddin, Soso, Jesson

Panel CON (Team B): Rojhano, George, Salima, Amin, Rick

Audience (Team C): Behnam, Boboty, Azamu, Bubbly, Seif, Elham, Noorola.

Team A summary

Zeinab: Flattering helps you to be promoted faster. Your boss would support your opinions if you do it. Flattering not only does it work with bosses, but it also works with teachers.

Soso: some people don’t know the difference between flattering and complimenting. If the boss is a man and the worker is a woman, there could be misunderstandings. However; if the boss has a low self-esteem, it works. Inflating your boss’ ego may help you receive a special treatment.

Suren: Albeit some people consider flattering a bad thing, it does work. For instance, flattering your teacher could make you get better grades.

Mohiuddin: On one hand, some administrative board likes to promote people with whom they feel there is some certain affinity. There are some people who know this and make use of this strategy quiet often.
On the other hand, there are people who use other options such as working hard for their success.

Nevertheless, when people do not have what it takes to get promoted, they may resort to flatter and to sweet-talking to their bosses.

There are also people who from very early in life they’ve flattered in schools and universities to their teachers and

They’ve learnt by flattering they can achieve things as well. They’ve made this a habit and become accustomed to not working hard for their success.

Jesson: You could just work for your promotion and keep on doing what you are supposed to do but flattering does make it a bonus. Flattering could develop a stronger bond between the boss and the employee.

People use it to get advantage over other workers. However; it can be seen as bad thing when people do it and others don’t know the reason behind it. Unfortunately, the reality at some working places show that people who are good at it can be promoted.

Team B summary

Salima: flattering is bad manners, and disrespecting. If we all know our rights as workers, there shouldn’t be any need to flatter. There is no need to do it if you meet your responsibilities.

George: sometimes, when you do everything right, everything you are supposed to do, you become invisible and nobody appreciates your work. Only by making mistakes could you be noticed. There is a difference between being just kind and being a flatterer. Flattering people because we are kind is one thing but doing it to get advantages is immoral and wrong.

Amin: Most people say that flattering is wrong and yet we use it all the time; at work, at home with our wives, at schools, etc. to either make this life pass smoothly or to generate good vibes. Using it wisely at work with a hard and difficult boss could help make the atmosphere better. Using it excessively though could be counterproductive.

Rick: Even though flattering can be used to gain more visibility and therefore more opportunities, the reason is not necessary is because in a work environment your performance is the number one factor. “Performance” doesn’t lie. Flattery is subjective and most good managers and supervisors would see through the flattery and focus on your actual performance instead.

If you have a good character, personal integrity and a credible reputation then you have what it takes to being promoted. Those are not subjective, they are objective and these things would help you as much as if you try to flatter. As the matter of fact, most supervisors may look down at that and see it as not being professional. (Speaking for the USA) Most American managers would rather focus on your performance than on other things.

There are many ways though to “weaponize” your way up, but it would depend on the working environment. For instance, if you work in a quality professional organization, the managers in charge of promoting people would look at your performance. Not matter how many times you invite them a cup of coffee or how many times you tell them how good they look. But there are also places where people think that flattering will take them everywhere and it does work in certain places, but not in everywhere.

Votes:

· Behnam: team C

· Bubbly: team B

It was a tie. Thanks everyone for participating. Below are the links to listen to this discussion.

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