The Nice Blog

Wed, July 27, 2011 - 11:25:52

Managers Make Nice

One of the questions we’re frequently asked is a simple one: “Can you really be nice and be successful in business at the same time?” As the authors of THE POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness, our answer should come as no surprise. The truth is: being NICE will propel you forward in ways that being cutthroat, mean-spirited, and selfish never will, especially as a manager. Making NICE the backbone of your management strategy can revolutionize your workplace—and it doesn’t mean you can’t be tough when necessary.

As Suzanne Lucas writes in a recent BNet article, one of the worst things a manager can do is coddle their employees, which, contrary to what you might think, has nothing to do with being NICE. In fact, providing negative feedback, saying “no,” and letting your employees take accountability for their own projects are all integral to a NICE management style—but how you approach it makes all the difference.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Tue, July 19, 2011 - 12:36:01

Nice is Truly in the Cards

Yankee fans certainly weren’t surprised when superstar shortstop Derek Jeter hit his 3,000th homerun earlier this week. It was what happened directly after that sparked everyone’s interest. Upon catching the historic baseball, 23 year-old Christian Lopez returned it to the famous player, noting that Jeter deserved to have it as a keepsake. Considering that Lopez could very easily have sold the piece of iconic sports memorabilia for a hefty sum, the act of kindness was particularly telling of the recent college graduate’s character. And it’s one that’s now being rewarded, showing once again that it pays to be nice.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Thu, July 14, 2011 - 12:31:52

“Kissing Down” Can Help You Kick Up Your Career

In our dog-eat-dog business world, the rule of thumb has always been to “kiss up” to the boss, while stepping on the backs of your colleagues. But, in our experience, we’ve found that adopting that mentality is one of the worst mistakes you can make. As author Mike Figliuolo recently wrote on his blog, it’s often those who kiss down and kick up that make the best managers, and thus excel in their careers.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Thu, July 07, 2011 - 9:41:37

Survival of the Kindest

When we released the POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness, people were shocked by our unconventional assertion that it wasn’t just possible to climb the corporate ladder while being nice; kindness could actually give you a leg up on the competition. But, as we cite in our book, it’s not just a hunch. Kindness, empathy, and strong relationship-building skills have been scientifically documented to provide people with a clear professional and personal advantage.

Recently, we came across an interesting study from the University of California at Berkley that debunks the long-held notion that humans are hard-wired to be selfish and instead are programmed for sharing.  Moreover, people who are the most empathetic are at a greater advantage than their not-so-NICE counterparts.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Mon, June 27, 2011 - 9:07:38

Loyalty’s Surprising Rewards

Lately, it seems like you can’t go anywhere without hearing about the topic of fidelity. Loyalty—or perhaps, more accurately a lack of it—is a hot topic of the day. And a new study sheds light on one reason why we should all value this NICE trait a bit more. It turns out that being loyal, whether in your personal or professional relationships, has a wealth of benefits.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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