‘How can I fake being sincere at work?’

‘The secret of success is sincerity, once you can fake that, you’ve got it made,’ so the famous tongue-incheek saying goes. Easier said than done, when office politics dictate workplace sincerity calls for complimenting the boss on that striking new eyeliner, expressing interest in the new internship policy and enquiring about the weekend of that person who’s always lurking in the kitchen. (Oh, they just had a quiet one. Again.)

But sincerity equals trust. And trust equals? Yep, promotions, exotic work trips, pay rises. So you’ve got to learn to fake it. Ready? First, be sure to maintain eye contact when delivering your sincerest compliments; look anywhere else and you’ll seem shifty. Be too unblinking, though, and you’ll come across far too intense. Next up, cultivate relationships.

You don’t have to become BFFS, just pretend to give a shit about their kitchen extension or kid’s schooling or whatever. Your sincerity

and likeability ratings will soar, meaning that next time you’re embellishing your CV, or bullshitting yourself out of a corner, you’ll have enough credibility to get away with it. Result – job promotion, in the bag. You’re welcome.