The reality is that organizations are hierarchies, and social science bears out uncomfortable truths about politics and interpersonal relationships: We make snap judgments of people, based on appearance, that can carry on over time; we favor those who are similar to us; we get promoted or gain valuable information by making our boss feel good and building relationships with influential people; we form perceptions based on appearance, body language, and voice more than the content of the argument; we are more likely to be perceived as competent if we are judiciously critical or show anger (at least, men are). There is strong evidence that work ratings, bonuses, and promotions are weakly correlated to actual performance — performance may even matter less to our success than our political skills and how we are perceived by those who make the decisions.