Question

Self-Promotion—pointing out your abilities or accomplishments in order to be seen as competent by observers; Ingratiation—doing favors or using flattery to elicit an attribution of likability from observers; Exemplification—self-sacrificing or going above and beyond the call of duty in order to gain the attribution of dedication from observers

1. Which tactic above do you like best? Provide an example of the strategy when you used impression management for that tactic.

2. Which tactic above you don't like? Explain whether or not you would use this tactic in practice and why.

3. Do you feel that using these tactics is faking? How does this relate to being authentic (authentic leadership)?

Answer 1

1. Though I don't particularly like any of the two techniques, the second one, going above and beyond the call of duty is the better option than using flattery to gain favour and attention. The tactic is good, if the act of going overboard does not harm your personal life and you don't end up taken for granted as the one who can be used as and when needed, the way one wants to.The example is of the time when I was the only active member of the team which was working on a project, bcause one of the member was on her maternity leave while the other was down with sickness. I had to work overtime to suh an extent where I worked for over 12 hours each day for 8 days in succession, without taking m weekly off, but I made sure that we met the deadline.

2.Use of flattery or doing favour is something which I don't like at all, whatever be the consequences. It is so because I believe that this tactic puts you among some of the most disliked people at the workplace. Further, such behaviour slowly but steadily deteriorates the work culture, affecting good people.

3.First technique can be used in genuine manner, without showing off, if the time demands. You will be known, even if you don't want to be. However, just for the sake of gaining attention is equivalent to faking and people don't take time to understand this, and one begins to be counted among the fakes, drifting away from the authenticity.