Nepotism means hiring family. Everyone has know for forever that it is not what you know, it's who you know. This has probably been done this way for forever.

Nepotism means hiring family. Everyone has know for forever that it is not what you know, it's who you know. This has probably been done this way for forever. Back in the ancient Roman times, back in Sumeria I'm sure. This article is pretty worthless. It states the obvious. Except they are wrong about the definition of nepotism which is bothering me to no end. I have held many positions where people around me and under me had WAY more skill, and I mean WAY more skills in the technical thing that they were doing. However, people who talk about meritocracy usually are sour apple-ing about other people who "brown nose" and "play office politics." It's really in that genre that this is what things that piss people off are about. The thing is, is that it takes a long time, at least for me, to understand how office politics work. I had to work long and hard at it, it did not come natural for me. There are a lot of techniques that I learned. I had to change my thought patterns. But, here's the thing, I was pretty good at getting things done by being a "brown noser" and "playing office politics." Because part of office politics, for me, is not just politicing upwards, but sideways and downwards, too. But I 100% admitted it to everyone, that they were all better than me...that's why they were hired. My job was just to coordinate everything and get them the resources they need, and their job was to make me look good, and my job was to make them look good politically. No one really minded that I was not the sharpest tool in the shed, because I didn't say I was. But I DID say that I was very good at other things that they were not good at. But yes, pick your business associates and mentors VERY carefully. Don't just walk into a job and make friends with the first people that happen to talk to you. No. Anyways, you never want to make "friends" with anyone at work. You should have no friends at a workplace. You have associates, but you are polite and respectful towards all. Make friends outside of work. This approach has never failed me. I shoot up organizations because I figure out who the powerful people are and slowly work into developing relationships with them, even if they are many levels above me...I figure out the line of approach. Who are their close associates? And those associate's associates. Work your way into the power structure. Yeah, you have to be sharp and have skills, but the CEO of GM is not screwing on hubcaps every day - the technical skills are not needed at that level. Usually.