To determine what effect, if any, those personality traits lumped under the umbrella of “disagreeableness” have on a person’s career, researchers at the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business examined the behavior of individuals in two studies, noting study subjects’ disagreeableness levels before entering the workforce and 14 years later and how much power or status they’d gained in their workplaces in the intervening time period. One study found no relationship between disagreeable behavior and career achievement—meaning that those less-than-kind behaviors in the workplace won’t pay dividends in the long run.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb In the other study, researchers found that disagreeable people typically engaged in two distinct behavioral patterns that canceled each other out in terms of their career achievement. Though the disagreeable people studied displayed dominant-aggressive behavior, which is associated with achieving power or higher career status, they failed to display generosity or helpful, community-minded behavior, a lack of which is associated with achieving less career success. Unfortunately, while people who display disagreeable behavior in the workplace aren’t likely to grab that brass ring any quicker than their more likable counterparts, that doesn’t mean they’re out of the running for high-status positions, either. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. “[Organizations] allow jerks to gain power at the same rate as anyone else, even though jerks in power can do serious damage to the organization,” explained the study’s co-author Cameron Anderson, PhD, a professor at Berkeley Haas. While an antagonistic nature may not get you ahead in your career, the paper’s authors found that there was one trait particularly associated with career success: extroversion. Of course, meshing with your company culture—and not alienating your colleagues—goes a long way, too. “My advice to managers would be to pay attention to agreeableness as an important qualification for positions of power and leadership,” said Anderson. And if you want to make the most of your career while you’re WFH, check out these 7 Secret Zoom Tips to Help You Make the Most of Your Meetings.
