Perfectionism is lethal in relationships because people perceive drive, and know that somehow they'll never measure up. At same time, putting yourself under that kind of pressure kills all spontaneity.

When your goal is perfection, it becomes difficult to make decisions and to meet deadlines. You're always trying to out-think yourself.

Perfectionists are often micro-managers. They're afraid to let anyone else do anything, because of unrealistic standard of perfection.

Does this apply to business? You bet. "Beware of perfect people," says Dick Brown, chairman and CEO of uWink Inc.. "They will never propel your enterprise to greatness. They're too cautious. You've got to be fast to be good."

Aim for excellence, not elusive perfection, and your work product will be better and you'll be a lot happier.

How people play political game depends upon need, style, personal values, ethics, and temperament, but there's one thing to keep in mind, say management professors Bob Kreitner and Angelo Kinicki. People like people who aren't too different from everyone else, i.e., people they can understand. It's folks at either end of spectrum -- too extreme one way or another -- who have trouble in offices. People who are either strictly non-political or people who are highly political generally find there's a price to pay for "aberrant" behavior.

Emotional intelligence means knowing how to play office politics games; how to manage yourself, your emotions and those of other people. Developing a high EQ will get you ahead!