False Flattery – Can It Cost You A Job?

Any form of deception can be detrimental to your job.

You may be tempted to exaggerate your skills or knowledge in hopes of impressing one of colleagues or your boss. Or you might attempt some false flattery to one of your co-workers or your employer in an attempt to gain an edge over your colleagues. However, this type of behaviour can be risky.

First, your behaviour may be recognized as an attempt at false flattery, which would not be viewed by your colleagues or employer as acceptable behaviour. Second, it could be viewed as an attempt to promote your position over the position of your co-workers, which could cause them to distrust you and interfere with your relationships. This is not to suggest that you should ignore the skills and knowledge of the people you work with either individually and in public — co-workers and employers will recognize when you are given honest praise and accolades for work well done. However, they will be wary of you if they see you giving unwarranted praise to work that was not well done or to employees who did not contribute equally to the completion of the tasks.

Employers may perceive this false flattery as a sign of weak skills on your part. This may lead to less responsible and important tasks being assigned to you because employers are questioning your skills. If you are observed praising poor performance, you may be perceived as someone who cannot recognize good quality work or as someone trying to gain an advantage by using false flattery.

Either way, it will not be good for you and your career.

• Picture Perfect
• The Boss of It All
• Picture Perfect
• From Hire to Liar: The Role of Deception in the Workplace
• Liar’s Paradise: The Seven Degrees of Corporate Deceit
• Swapping Lies! Deception in the Workplace