Perfectionism is kind of like too much of a good thing. It's good to be interested in excellence, but when you feel that your work (or relationship) has to be perfect you are saddling yourself with a burden you don't need, a burden that can effect every area of your life. You won't be able to please yourself at work or at home because nothing and no one are ever perfect.

Perfectionism can lead to isolation for various reasons. You won't want to let people get too close to you lest they perceive your short-comings. This leaves you without alliances, and out of loop.

Perfectionism also makes you a poor risk-taker and taking risks is often required in business. Perfectionists become dysfunctional when something comes up that they've never seen before, or if they're asked to try something different that seems risky to them. It can also keep you from meeting deadlines.

Emotional intelligence means knowing how to get along. Playing too hard at office is just as bad as refusing to play at all, studies show. Office politics is here to stay and how you play can influence your success, satisfaction, and performance at work. So read on.