Nice People Finish Last? Not in the Workplace.
We’ve all heard the old saying that in life, “Nice people finish last.” But how true is this? This article seemingly proves the old adage false. In fact, a friendly and very personable attitude can be one of the most valuable assets a person can have in the workplace. The ability to connect somewhat on a personal level with coworkers, bosses, and potential clients may be even more important than a person’s competence on certain subject matter.
There is a difference though between being nice and being too nice in the work environment. This article illustrates its point nicely with five examples.
So what do you think? If you believe this article, then you probably also believe that, “It’s not what you know, but it’s who you know.” Is this article accurate or does one have to be ruthless business person to get ahead and advance in the workplace?
4 comments:
I have agreed with this philosophy for quite some time. It seems the nicer you are to people, the better they will treat you. It’s often said that it’s not what you know but who you know. I find this to be true as well. Many jobs I have applied for in the past have asked if I had any family members working in the business, or if I knew anyone that worked at the company. These days, it seems your education doesn’t matter as much as your last name or you ability to interact with people effectively. It’s sad, but it’s true.
I would agree with the concept that "It's not what you know, but it's who you know." This statement seems to be very true. It's easier to obtain a job when you know the boss of a job that you're applying for. Those personal connections give you a heads up on everyone else applying for that same job because the boss already has a personal relationship with you.
I tend to think that this article is not accurate when it states that you have to be a ruthless business person to get ahead in the workplace, although, you can't be too nice either. I think that it's a balance of both, as long as you are a good working employee and efficient at your job. I think effieciency & work ethic are what will advance a person in the workplace as long as they have a friendly disposition and attitude.
"It's not what you know, but it's who you know," is accurate when one is hired for positions. Employers do not want to waste their time and money on an employee whom they are not sure about, so they will hire people who they know well or another employee knows well.
Once someone is in a position, nice people do not finish last. Employers notice when an employee is working well as a team member, but being nice is not the only aspect. An employee also has to do their part. The article assumes that everyone that is nice is also a hard worker. I personally work with people who are nice, but who also avoid doing their part. In addition, the fact that they are nice can make people not want to confront them about their lack of work. It just depends on what aspect of the article you focus and from what position you evaluate.
The fact is if you treat people nice they will probably be more likely to treat you the same way back, unless they are just mean. But I also find it to be true that if you know someone when applying for a job it can be a big help when getting a foot into the door if you will. I also believe though after speaking to some respected employers in the past, that if you can relate with people and communicate in a way that is easily understood and well mannered your chances of getting hired are high. It is like in this time frame that we live in everyone has a college degree, and the way the you act and your personality is often a tiebreaker when going up against someone else for a position at a company or business.
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