The "N" Word
There are few words that receive such scorn. It’s a word that people avoid like the plague. It’s bad to think about it. Worse when someone says it and even worse when it is said to you.
That word is ‘nice’.
Being nice has become a vice in the corporate world. People who are described to be the movers and shakers, people who are moving up the corporate ladder, people who are described as the next big thing, are never described as nice. The adjectives used to describe these people are ruthless, cunning, sharp, cunning, fireball, hustler, pistol, dynamo, hot shot, smart, cocky, gritty, gutsy, obtrusive, rash, fearless, courageous, bold, forward, intrepid, spunky, active, ambitious. Never once will you hear the word ‘nice’.
In the corporate world, being called nice is not nice. It means you are not management material. It means you will not go far. Your competence becomes a question mark when you are declared as nice. It means you have a short tenure with the company and a short track to progress. Being nice means you can kiss your prospects for progress good bye. You will be asked to work longer and harder, but since you are nice, your rating at the end of the year will be average. You are nice after all; nice persons are expected not to make a fuss.
The oft repeated adage is ‘nice guys finish last.’ And studies show that this is true to some extent. Most people who make progress in today’s corporate scenario are not considered to be nice. Ruthless and ambitious, yes. Nice, no!
Seems odd though. As a human being you want to work with nice people. You want to work for nice people. You want nice people to work for you. You want people who are approachable, who are honest, who are dedicated, who are honest. You want to be a able to approach your boss with a problem knowing that he or she will pay attention to the issue and give appropriate feedback. You want to be able to meet with colleagues in an environment that fosters communication. You want to task work to people you trust will get along with other members of your team. However, the teachings of the corporate world differ from this basic human need. The result is conflict and angst. People fear their bosses, keep away from their colleagues and refuse to delegate. The result is a build up of stress, overwork, and distrust of people. You negotiate thinking that the customer is not nice, not trustworthy, not having the best interest at heart resulting in heated debates, overcharging, less transparency and bad deals. You don’t trust your suppliers to be nice, therefore you add unnecessary checks and balances, complicated warranty arrangements and penalty systems.
The lack of appreciation of nice people who work for the betterment of the company, who care for their customers, who value their colleagues makes them feel less valued. They feel misfits in a corporate culture that does not fit in with their values. Eventually they may leave. They leave for better opportunities in companies that value their behavior. And they leave the company that did not appreciate them poorer for having lost a valuable resource.
There needs to be a change in the corporate culture which nice people are appreciated and promoted. These people should be the face of the company. They should be made the spokespersons for the company policy, mentors for newcomers and beacons of light for everyone to follow.
They should not be left behind in the current corporate race which values going it alone rather than helping people on the way. Read somewhere that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. If you want to go together, why would you not want to be surrounded by people who are nice?