The Power of Like

I am writing this from the Narita Airport in Japan. I am sitting here waiting for my connecting flight and thinking about the flight I just took. By most standards it was a pretty good flight. It left on time (almost) and arrived early. That, in and of itself, should have qualified it as a great flight. The food was good by airline standards (it was eatable). The seats were comfortable. I worked. I watched a movie. However if you asked me to rate the flight I would probably give it a C. Why? The stewardess. No she didn’t forget to serve me my meal or spill drinks on me. She was focused and efficient. She got those drinks delivered; served those meals; did her safety checks. But she wasn’t friendly. She dressed severely. No jewelry, no makeup and closely cropped hair. She answered your questions but had no time or interest in engaging in conversation. During the12 hour flight I never once saw her smile. Basically she was not very likeable. As a result she set an unpleasant tone for the whole flight.

When it come to getting the job, getting the promotion or even getting someone to help you, it is easier if they like you. We want to work with people we like. We want to do things for people that we like. So how do we get someone to like us? Spend time with them. Show interest. Do something for them. Find out what you have in common. Compliment them. Show them you like them because, in the end, we tend to like people who like us.