Most of us have been raised to believe in the traditional work ethic. You know how it goes: Working hard and being as productive as possible is the good and honorable way to conduct yourself. If your boss doesn't treat you well, you simply put in a few more hours cranking out work better and faster than anyone else.

This makes sense and is how things ought to be. Unfortunately, people only behave this way in fantasyland. At all too many companies, working harder and doing more only gets you treated worse than ever and, possibly, fired. That's because many bosses aren't interested in having you work better.

This doesn't mean bosses don't want their firms to do well. Except perhaps for lawyers, no one makes money from a bankrupt company. Just because an enterprise is thriving, though, doesn't mean that its employees are rewarded on an equitable basis. More often than not, the opposite occurs.

Some bosses think each dollar you're paid is one they can't stuff in their pockets. They may also believe power ceded to you is power they've lost. If praise is heaped on you, they may feel threatened that you're outshining them. To a paranoid egomaniac who isn't happy unless he's the center of attention, this is the worst fear of all.

Now assume you want to advance or earn more at your company. You begin ratcheting up your performance and churning out work. Then, when you receive your performance review, your boss stuns you with a long list of criticisms never mentioned previously. This takes the wind out of your sails, which is precisely what the boss intended.

Don't get bogged down about the unfairness of performance reviews. With many bosses, a fair review is an oxymoron. It doesn't exist. Such managers are grossly unfair to all subordinates. So rather than whining about how terrible your boss is, use his or her selfishness to your advantage.

Suppose you report to Rick, who's obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder. He never misses an opportunity to be the center of attention and shine before top management. Rick pushes you and your peers to straighten up your desks and work hard whenever his boss comes over. No idle chatting or walking around when she's in the office.

Eager to make a good impression, you greet Rick's boss the next time she strolls over and show her some work you're doing, then share your ideas on needed improvements at the company. Your work is good and so are your ideas, but later on, Rick is angry with you and you don't know why.

Rick's mad because he wants his boss to notice how good he is, not how smart you are. He may be terrified that some day, the company will dump him and move you into his job just to save a few dollars. This may be a far-fetched idea and you may not want his job, but reality doesn't matter. Rick's fears are what matters. As long as he views you as a threat, he's going to give you a hard time, even if your work is good and your intentions are innocent.

People aren't that crazy, you say. Actually, they are. And, rather than wishing Rick were different and fighting him, why don't you give him what he wants? Assume you just completed a report. Instead of sending Rick and his boss each a copy, go to Rick and ask him to sign off on it.

Better yet, ask him if you could list him as co-author. Say that doing so will give your work more credibility, and put his name above yours on the cover page. Your ego may take a hit, but by letting Rick know you're loyal and unthreatening, your job security will get a boost.

Does Rick always insist on having the last word? Let him. He's the boss. The more ridiculous his ideas are, the more willing you should be to give him center stage. If his thinking is that bad, it will eventually become apparent.

You may think these activities are a waste of time, but Rick won't object, and neither should you in this situation. As long as your actions aren't illegal, personally unethical or potentially harmful, comply with Rick's wishes and make him a hero.

This doesn't mean that you should do anything less than your best work. However, you also should try to keep your job, not to mention your sanity. Practice what I call the "work ethic revisited" and you'll accomplish both.

The work ethic revisited states that a boss will never hire you to do what you want to do--only what he or she wants you to do. Most want you to be productive, but only up to the point at which they no longer benefit from your efforts.

They'll never tell you this. Instead, they'll claim to be concerned only about the company and its stockholders, but taking these statements at face value is naïve. Some bosses are genuinely interested in doing good work, but many more are interested solely in their own gain.

Making assumptions about which way your boss is leaning can get you into trouble. Employees do make assumptions, though. This is why many employees hate their jobs so much. They assume good work is expected, but the harder they work and the more they do, the better they look and the more threatened their bosses feel.

The best approach is to assume nothing and figure out what your boss wants by observing him in action. It could be a raise, promotion, recognition or glory. Maybe it's a mix of those things, combined with having power over people. Perhaps your boss is a control freak who can't resist directing every detail.

Observe what your peers do to please the boss, especially those he obviously considers trusted lieutenants. How do they deal with him? Can you do the same? Whatever you decide, test it on a small scale first. Be competent, but not so much so that you steal your manager's thunder. Gradually develop a pattern of behavior that's nonthreatening, yet effective.

This isn't the same as sucking up or caving in to a boss. Your actions, as long as they aren't obvious, put you in command and let you do the manipulating. A boss may think he's in charge, but by showing and telling him what he wants, you'll be calling the shots.

Corporate life shouldn't be this way, but it is. Office politics dominate the inner workings of work in every company. Ignore it and you'll suffer. Adapt to it as best you can and you won't be steamrollered.

If your boss isn't treating you well and you find this prescribed conduct too repulsive to maintain for more than brief spurts, hold on long enough to stabilize your position while seeking another. You may improve how your boss treats you so much that your terrible job is transformed into the best position you've ever had.

-- Mr. Hochheiser was a corporate manager for 25 years before becoming a writer in Wesley Hills, N.Y. He is the author of several books, including "It's a Job, Not a Jail" (1998, Simon & Schuster), from which this article is adapted.