Dave Schutz (6/14/2013)
To me it depends on the skills that people are being rewarded for. If we are rewarding people for doing a good technical job, then I'm in favor of that. Too often people are rewarded because of who they befriend and not what work they produce.When a company promotes people because they are nice and go along with the flow, then expects to get improved performance they are often disappointed. People who just go along with the flow often are unable to drive improvement because improvement requires change from the way you are doing things.
That said there is value in a personable colleague - if that is even a word (I know it is used a lot). Any task should be done well whilst rustling as few a feathers as possible. I think the smart route is somewhere between dictatorship and complete supplication. I am convinced that time spent getting the magical "buy-in" is usually worthwhile. The old adage of choosing ones battles wisely applies here.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!