I have just given a talk to sixth formers at my daughter’s school about my experience in business. I told them that all my promotions in a long career of 26 years in five different organisations have only come about because my boss liked me. As it turns out, these weren’t necessarily the times when I thought I deserved it most. I suggested to the students, therefore, that the best way of getting ahead was to make themselves likeable, but they stared at me in frank disbelief. The thanks I received from the head was somewhat lukewarm. Was this bad advice to have given? Manager, female, 48 ..................................................
我剛給我女兒所在中學的六年級學生做了一個報告，講的是我的職場經驗。我告訴他們，在26年的漫長職業生涯中，我曾先後供職5家不同的公司，而我得到的所有晉升都緣於我討老闆喜歡。事實證明，這些升職未必出現在我認爲自己最該獲得晉升的時候。