Finally she turned to Girlawhirl and said something very profound: "It's as if it doesn't even matter how much work I'm doing, getting promoted depends on whether or not people like me!" And with that, it was as if a light bulb went on over the table they were sitting at. As much as both Girlawhirl and her friend would like to think that they're rewarded at work on the basis of merit, truth be told, that's not always the case in the workplace.

According to the CareerBuilder.com article Do Nice Employees Finish Last? "A positive, friendly disposition can be a valuable career asset. In fact, a study published in the Harvard Business Review found that personal feelings toward an individual are more significant in the formation of productive work relationships than how competent the person is."

It's not as if her friend runs around her office terrorizing those who work for her, but after thinking about it she realized that she could do a little better in the friendliness department. As the discussion went on, she thought about situations in which she might have been too quick to speak; just letting her first thought come out of her mouth instead of thinking things through and formulating a more evenhanded response. Or where she could have taken more time to work with a subordinate at the beginning of a project so work time wasn't wasted going down the wrong path.

All the while, Girlawhirl was sitting back in her chair thinking that she too, could throw a few more smiles and kind words around her office as well.