The Tao of Nice: How Being Nice is the Key to Success

While the world economy continues to reshape itself, a new philosophy of “Nice” and “Kind” are beginning to permeate companies who have begun to realize that niceness is a key to successful growth, profit, productivity and reduced turnover.

As we know, behavior follows behavior, in the same way that a smile follows a smile. Acts of compassion, kindness, respect, patience and tolerance, lead to positive responses from others. In addition to these truisms, research into kindness, happiness and productivity are revealing many benefits to the power of being nice.

• There is a direct correlation between employee moral and the bottom line where increases in cheerfulness and helpfulness have been correlated to 50% increases in revenue.

• Acts of compassion have been found to increase serotonin levels in the brain, which is the neurochemical most closely associated to mood. Acts of compassion will not only raise your serotonin level, but will also raise the level in those you help and also in anyone who witnesses the act of compassion.

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number one reason that Americans quit their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. When you consider that the average cost to a company for a manager or professional who leaves is eighteen months’ worth of salary, the cost and effort to demonstrate an employee’s worth would seem to be a good investment.

• It is scientifically incorrect to say that we as humans have an innate predisposition towards aggression and violence. Even though we have the capacity to make war, aggression is not an automatic response. In fact, our need as humans to work together is more likely to be the foundation of our survival instinct than our capacity for aggression.

The days of the cutthroat “me vs. you” philosophy of business now give way to emotionally intelligent leadership that understands how being nice does not mean that you are naïve or weak.

www.charliecummins.com