Interpersonal skills are as important as meeting your boss’ deadline of a very important report. I was in many occasions advised to be a little soft in my approach with colleagues. Yeah, I understand I’m a little straight-forward & a direct-to-the-point person…no more bluffing, blablabla, adulations, flattery words, etc…especially to bosses. If there’s no need to talk, then I don’t talk, I just listen & observe. Of course, discussions on some stuffs are always there & some good laughs with colleagues are inevitable, but still I do speak less & most of the times engrossed only in my work or in whatever that I am doing. The thing that does a lot of talkings is only my curious & very imaginative mind. The analysis is almost always accurate & the process is so fast..I can catch up & learn fast, but then again, nothing would come out of my mouth unless very necessary.

Apart from playing a 3-4 hr tennis or a whole-day internet surfing, talking makes me tired..& talking too much makes me really exhausted. I don’t know why but it does. I must admit that politics can play a very significant role in the office but I don’t understand why we must do office politicking when the race is not about that, it’s all about performance. They say that the more you lurk around the places & chit-chat with anyone about anything, the more popular you become, the closer you get to your superiors..hoping that they find you smarter as well!

Below are some of the currencies that you control that are also valuable to your boss. Trust me, they really work..at least, they did for me .

· Performing above & beyond what’s required is a traditional way of building credit with any boss.
· Someone who makes sure that the boss doesn’t shoot himself in the foot.
· Being someone that the boss can rely on as a source of information from other part of the organization & from below as well.
· Keeping the boss informed of the problem.
· Representing the boss (accurately) to other parts of the organization.
· Defending & supporting the boss’ & the organization’s decisions to your own subordinates.
· Being the source of creativities & ideas.
· Providing support & encouragement.
· Taking initiative with new ideas.

I guess, you’re gonna tell me later, “Thanks very much for this insight.”