The Nice Blog

Sun, December 19, 2010 - 7:28:06

It Pays to Be Nice

If you stumbled upon a lost wallet or large sum of money, chances are you would try to return it to its rightful owner. But, what if your situation was dramatically different…what if you, like, Dave Talley, were homeless? Would your actions be the same?

Well, if you were Dave Talley, your answer would be “no.” And as a result, you would discover that your one kind act would have an enormous payoff…

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Sat, December 18, 2010 - 10:50:16

Say Thanks with the New York Women in Communications’ Gratitude Wall

See the power of NICE in action on the New York Women in Communications’ Gratitude Wall. Say “thanks” and honor your mentors, coworkers, bosses, employees, clients, friends and family with a kind note, photo, or a YouTube link. When you post to the Wall, you can send an email notification to your honoree or share a link via Twitter and Facebook.

Posting to the Wall is free until Jan. 3. But, feel free to leave a tax-deductible donation to the NYWICI Foundation, which provides scholarships, mentoring and other educational resources to women in all the communications fields.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, December 10, 2010 - 11:11:15

The Number Game Gets NICE

If you’ve been on Facebook or Twitter this week (and, really, who hasn’t?) you might have come across some puzzling status updates containing numbers and seemingly random thoughts. Despite what you might be thinking, your friends haven’t gone crazy. They’re participating in the latest meme that’s sweeping the Web called the Number Game.

Players post a brief status update announcing the game and anyone who wants to participate sends them a private message with a random number. Then, in response, the first player posts a status update with the number, along with a brief statement sharing how they really feel about that person. As we’ve witnessed, the responses can range from funny, to friendly, to downright thoughtless. So, it got us thinking… what if, instead, we started a new, NICE version of the Number Game…a compliment meme?

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Thu, December 09, 2010 - 10:53:15

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old

Anyone can tell you that staying connected is important. But, inevitably in some situations, life gets in the way and we lose touch with people. After a certain amount of time, the thought of reaching out to an old friend or associate again can seem impossible, no matter how much you’d like to do so. But, as Jodi Glickman explains today on the Harvard Business Review’s blog, “The passage of time is not a good enough reason to let a potential connection go to waste.”

Many times, making that first contact to an old connection can seem like an exercise in humility and it might feel uncomfortable to reach out after such a long lapse in communication. That’s why, as Glickman explains, it’s essential to acknowledge the proverbial elephant in the room from the start and break the ice with a simple, “I know it’s been ages since we’ve talked,” or “you’re probably wondering why I’m calling after all these years.”  In fact, failing to do so can derail your attempts to reconnect altogether, making you appear shallow and your old friend feel suspicious.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Sat, December 04, 2010 - 1:26:39

When Negative Germs Go Viral

Cyber bullying has been brought to the national forefront and is now a serious topic of the public conversation, following a string of tragic events involving teens and online harassment. But, being mean online isn’t limited to one age group. As Julie Zhuo writes in an Op-Ed for the New York Times, online anonymity can actually spur people to be cruel.

It might sound preposterous at first, but stop and think about it for a minute. In your own life, it’s likely you would never think of making an intentionally hurtful comment about a stranger’s appearance or ruthlessly tease a coworker about their job performance. In fact, if you witnessed it, you’d probably be the first person to stand up and say something. But, is the same true of your online behavior?

According to Zhuo:

Psychological research has proven again and again that anonymity increases unethical behavior. Road rage bubbles up in the relative anonymity of one’s car. And in the online world, which can offer total anonymity, the effect is even more pronounced. People — even ordinary, good people — often change their behavior in radical ways. There’s even a term for it: the online disinhibition effect.

From behind the Web’s shroud of anonymity, many people feel free to leave rude comments, play pranks, and even taunt their so-called enemies—things they would never do in “real life.” But, as the internet evolves to play a more prominent –and powerful—role in our day-to-day lives, the virtual interactions we have with both strangers and acquaintances can have a very real impact.
Whether you sign it or not, what you post on the Web lives forever.  So, maybe that’s worth thinking about that before you hit send.  Even if no one knows it was you, do you really want that comment to be your lasting legacy?  A guilty conscious can be a heavy burden to carry.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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