News Article

I'm not putting up a new song this week, but a news article that i've come across while reading The New Paper yesterday. It really shows that you cannot get far with flirting. and even if you get what you desire, are you up to the job? I dont think so. Enough said.. you guys read the article and see for yourself. Comments are welcome on the post itself or on the tagboard.

You FLIRT You Lose
Flirting can get you noticed. But can it help you get ahead in the office?

28 August 2005

SHE was a secretary in an advertising agency. In just four years, the pretty woman worked her way up to become an assistant director. How did she do it? She flirted and slept with the boss, claim her colleagues. But her case is unusual.

Attractive flirts don't have an advantage when it comes to promotions and perks, USA Today reported, quoting a recent US study.

According to the report, almost half of the 164 female MBA graduates in the study said they tried to get ahead by engaging in at least one of 10 sexual behaviours, including crossing their legs provocatively or leaning over a table to let male seniors look down their blouses.

But the other half, who said they avoided such moves, got an average of three promotions versus two for the flirtatious group.

The women in the study were aged from mid-20s to over 60.

LOSE RESPECT

Consultants in Singapore agree that using sexuality won't be in women's favour.

Ms Rose Tan, ex-boss of public relations agency Octagon, told The New Paper: 'Flirting can make colleagues think that a woman is cheap. In a professional environment, if you don't have respect, it's difficult to be promoted.'

She added: 'If a male boss promotes a woman because she's attractive, that wouldn't be good for her career. She would be promoted beyond her level of competence, and bosses come and go. She wouldn't be able to cope when a new boss comes on board.'

And given Singapore's small size, word can easily spread around.

'Even if such a woman joins another firm, the gossip may reach her new colleagues.'

Ms Tan added: 'When I recruit people, I look at their body language, attire and the way they speak. If they are overly friendly or charming, I'd be wary because if they have substance, they don't have to put on the charm.'

Said Mr Mohamed Ismail, chief executive of property agency PropNex: 'It's only a matter of time before a flirt develops a bad reputation among co-workers.'

Mr Lim Der Shing, business development director of career service firm JobsFactory, said: 'If a woman hits the performance targets, but likes to flirt, many bosses won't think much of it.

'But if the worker does not perform and flirts, I think some bosses may penalise her doubly and see her as not being serious in her work.'

Ms Jolene Lim, 32, a human resource manager with 15 years of experience said that while many companies do not have written policies on flirting, they frown on sexual harassment.

'Sexual harassment does not have to be rape or molest. Giving another person unwanted attention when he or she is not interested in you is considered harassment,' said Ms Lim.

The Public Service Division said all civil servants should conduct themselves in a manner which upholds the integrity of the public service and public confidence in it.

Mr Kamal Kant, principal consultant at Next Transition, a career consultancy, said that Singapore is still very much a traditional and conservative society.

So 'the business community expects its executives and managers to conduct themselves professionally - males and females alike'.

Many companies do not have policies dealing with office flirting, said Associate Professor Chan Teng Heng of Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School.

How they deal with flirting depends on corporate culture and the experiences of human resource chiefs and chief executives.

Prof Chan said flirtatious staff are usually penalised when other workers complain.

However, this does not mean that women have to be 'unfeminine' at work.

Octagon's Ms Tan said: 'Any woman who dresses in a skirt and nice suit is feminine. Flirting is unlady-like behaviour.'

But Miss Braema Mathi, president of the Association of Women for Action and Research, had this parting shot: 'Men are no saints - they flirt too.'

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GOSSIP AFFECTED ME TOO


SHE was a beauty queen, but Ms Teo Ser Lee had to work doubly hard to prove herself in the corporate world.

The 39-year-old, who now runs a grooming institute, won titles like Miss Singapore International in 1986, Miss Singapore-World (1988), and Miss Singapore-Globe (1989).

The NUS accountancy graduate recalled how people would test her to see if she could get things done.

She said: 'When I was a public relations officer at Mandarin Hotel, I had no experience in the hospitality industry.

'Some people tried to challenge me, to see if I was only a woman with style but no substance.

'Some function organisers asked me for free rooms for their guests to change or shower, and I usually accommodated their requests.'

And no, she never flirted to climb the corporate ladder, even though some critics thought she did.

Ms Teo said: 'Flirting may get you into your boss' good books. But if he gets transferred, wouldn't I have to flirt with the next boss?

'So I believe in letting my work speak for me.'

Ms Teo was with Mandarin Hotel from 1990 to 1995 and worked her way up to be corporate communications executive.

After five years, she moved on to be the marketing manager for a country club, now defunct.

By then, people no longer saw her as a beauty without brains.

She said: 'People who didn't know me said I used my looks to succeed. Initially, I was affected by the gossip. But that's part and parcel of life.

'By the time I moved on to other jobs, the gossip ended.'

In 2002, she joined Samsung Electronics Asia as its corporate communications general manager.

Later, she set up her own business after being trained in etiquette and protocol in the US.

'Having good looks helps to open doors but they're useless if you have no substance,' she added.