At work, don't be nice, be likable
In the workplace, do others perceive being nice as being a pushover? This is the conversation that Scott Herrick of Cube Rules has started in his post, Why you need to be likable at work -- but not nice.
Herrick makes the argument against being nice at work:
- You get dumped on for work tasks because being nice means you don’t say “no.”
- You don’t get your problems resolved with your manager because being nice means not being confrontational
- You don’t get your opinion heard because being nice means being quiet and letting others define issues
- You don’t get as high a performance review rating because you never got out from under all the work you took on because you don’t say “no.”
Herrick goes on to explain that instead of being nice, be likeable as the likable person on a team also possesses the quality of assertiveness.
His point of view may not be popular, especially if you're the "nice person" on the team or someone who doesn't want them empowered, but I agree with Herrick.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Comments (12)
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And I agree, nice is sometimes the easy way out of not fully Being who we are...
The real trick is trying to figure out how to engage in work and not give who you are away. You can tolerate, tolerate, and tolerate some more -- then lose your soul.
This isn't about being mean, disrespectful or deceitful. It's about finding the balance between working with others and preserving what you need to accomplish your work and personal goals. Work is a two-way street; when work becomes a one-way street coming at you, it isn't fun.
--Terrace Crawford
www.terracecrawford.com
www.twitter.com/terracecrawford
And there should be no confidence obtained by being the most popular person at the office. Balance the human social insecurity with the intellectual goal of kicking ass at work. If you become friends with colleagues, that's just the icing on the HFCS cake.
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