Do Your Colleagues Think You're Obnoxious?

I recently received this question from a reader:

I really like my new company and my new boss, and at his urging I have been signing up for lots of extracurricular activities like volunteer events and the office sports teams.  But yesterday my sister called me a “joiner” and now I am worried that my new coworkers think I’m just trying to kiss up.  Is this the impression I’m giving, and if so, what can I do about it?

I personally love office extracurriculars.  They expose you to people in your organization you might not be in a position to meet otherwise (like executives), and they also provide a built-in outlet to do something other than work.  Sometimes it’s hard to get a life when you’re focusing all of your energy on launching a career in a new place.  Extracurriculars bridge the gap.

Is This Even Brown-Nosing?

I don’t necessarily think signing up for these makes you look like a brown-noser, even if your boss did suggest it.  What may make you look like a brown-noser is to always be the one who raises your hand for extra assignments or new responsibilities that will increase your contribution and/or enhance your skill set.  In this case, you shouldn’t care too much, because your boss will love you and having better career prospects overall is more important than trying to please everyone.

Cover Yourself with Enthusiasm

To mitigate the effect of potential brown-nosing, show genuine interest in what you’re signing up for.  Demonstrate to your colleagues that you are doing it because you’re intrigued, not just because the boss told you to.  Also, try for subtly.  Truly obnoxious brown-nosing usually involves non stop compliments in the boss’ direction, and/or trying to ingratiate yourself at every opportunity.  Perhaps needless to say, but don’t be so blatant.

For more, have a look at the full post at Intuit's Fast Track blog.