The danger of being a 'nice guy' at work

There is that old adage that nice guys finish last. Well, CIO.com suggests there may be a good bit of truth to the idea that being a nice person--a quality we should hopefully all strive for--may actually not serve your best interests. Too often, the publication suggests, nice, competent people get passed over for promotions, and the good job goes to the prima donna or the person who plays politics.

Russ Edelman, co-author of the book, "Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office: Eight Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk," argues that if you come off as very nice, people will take advantage of you.

He also notes that being too nice is a problem for businesses, who see easy-going employees as costing them time and money. In a survey of 50 CEOs, Edelman asked about the impact of "being too nice" on their businesses. The CEOs responded that being too nice cost them eight percent of their gross revenues.

Edelman also notes that managers who are too nice avoid confrontations and are reluctant to make decisions for fear of hurting the feelings of others, wasting time and leading to missed opportunities. "Softies need to toughen up," he says.

For more on the danger of being too nice:
- see this CIO.com article