Schmoozing is something that you are probably either quite comfortable with, or totally repulsed by, and I’ve written before about some ways that you can be both better at it and more comfortable with it. What is perhaps hard to dispute however is the degree with which it is common in the workplace.
A recent study set out to explore just how people feel when they witness schmoozing in action. The analysis revealed that when we see someone kissing some butt, it actually makes us think more highly of the person whose butt is being kissed, and this is especially so when we’re new on the job.
“That kind of information is so much more valuable to a newcomer,” the authors say. “You’re scanning the environment looking for any cue you can get that can help you understand the workplace.”
The lay of the land
The study suggests that when we first start out in a new job, we’re eager to devour any information we can about both our new workplace, and the people we work with. As such, we’ll readily consume information that more established colleagues readily discard.
When it comes to people schmoozing, it would appear that new recruits tend to interpret this as a sign that the manager on the receiving end is someone worth sucking up to. This tends not to be the case with established workers, who either discount the schmoozing or look down on the person doing it.
“If you could sit down with your supervisor for an hour and talk, that would be the best way to form an impression, but we don’t always have that opportunity,” the researchers say. “If we can’t get good information, we’ll settle for what we can get.”
Interestingly, in the research environment at least, this positive perception of the schmoozed boss would survive even if the witness to it was told that they really aren’t all that.
Now, it should be said that this kind of halo effect only tended to apply when people had no other information to go on, so if an employee has direct contact with the manager then they tend to use this information to override any information gained from observing the workplace dynamics.
Nevertheless, it’s an interesting insight into how first impressions can be both formed and influential in determining how we perceive others, especially if they’re in positions of power.
“This study shows that this behavior can affect our impressions of others. If you’re a newcomer and I want you to like the supervisor, I can manage your impression by ingratiating the supervisor in front of you,” he said. “It’s almost like throwing your voice.”
I just couldn't believe what I read here: " … The analysis revealed that when we see someone kissing some butt, it actually makes us think more highly of the person whose butt is being kissed, and this is especially so when we’re new on the job. …".
Are you seriously arguing this is a …"study" worth taking into consideration.
I mean, come on, let's be honest: Turning black into white does make some folkes feel good, right?
PS: It's unbelievable an article like this sneaked into CompTIA's smartbrief series, and unacceptable too.
Please look up the definotion of “schmoozing” in a Yiddish dictionary, the language in which the word originated. When used forrectly, even today in our mylti- ethnic society, schmoozing means chatting, talking familiarly and pergaps even intimately. It certainly DOES NOT mean “kissing up” or verbally groveling or “sucking up.” Just because you have written articles using the term before does not mean you got it right. Still unsure? Seek out a native Yiddish speaker and ask.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for stopping by, and apologies for not replying sooner – I've been on holiday for the past 10 days. I will certainly do that. I'm English, so took the term in the sense that the Cambridge dictionary does "to talk informally with someone, especially in a way that is not sincere or to win some advantage for yourself", but I accept that may divert from its origins.
I think you are using the term schmoozing incorrectly. It is more of a sales/social ‘working the room’ kind of thing, so to speak. It is not, nor has it ever been, in any way related to kissing butt. Consider an informal cocktail party, or an after work going away party for someone. You could stand in the corner with the person you arrived with, or the people in your department, or you could converse, make conversation & schmooze with everyone & anyone, just joining and starting conversations and getting to know people while letting them know you.
Hi David, thanks for your comment, and as per my reply to Jennifer, my apologies for not replying sooner. As a Brit I very much took my definition from the Cambridge dictionary "to talk informally with someone, especially in a way that is not sincere or to win some advantage for yourself", but fully accept that I hadn't explored the original origins of the phrase, nor the different ways in which it's applied. Thanks for the heads up.