Sustainable Excellence Xtras #68 - Likability With John L. Beckley

Is it important to be liked at your workplace?

I've heard people say that it is better to be respected, or feared, or valued, than it is to be liked.

In a LinkedIn article (Biggins, 11/10/2016), the results of a "likability in the office survey" by CV-Library, found that being liked (87%) is important to a workers' progression in a company, while two thirds of the professionals surveyed felt that not being liked made people struggle to get ahead at work. 

However, almost 60% of those surveyed felt that being overly friendly was detrimental to your career because people who were too affable were deemed to be less assertive, while 62% of those surveyed believed that assertiveness is crucial to maintaining respect with co-workers.

So, if being liked is vital to an employee's chances at promotion, what qualities do workers need to possess to be likable at the office?

According to an article in Inc. magazine (Economy, 7/9/2015) there are five traits employees should exhibit to make themselves liked at work:

1. Be respectful
2. Talk and ask questions
3. Listen
4. Compliment others
5. Smile

Watch the video below to learn more advantages to being liked in the workplace from John L. Beckley, Founder of The Economic Press.

Also, please leave me a comment about your thoughts regarding the importance of being likable at work.