Stop Being Nice at Work!

If you want to get ahead at work, forget everything your parents taught you about manners. After reading a study showing that nice guys and girls are at a disadvantage in the workplace, the Daily Beast’s Amy Reiter decided to test out the theory for herself. First, she painstakingly eliminated “thank you” and “I’m sorry” from her vocabulary. Next, from her emails. Suddenly, people started treating her better; she was respected by her colleagues and could bargain harder for what she wanted. The study suggests a balanced approach to remain likeable but leader-like: “Be firm, logical, assertive, and persistent—but do not ever show hostility, anger, or other negative emotions.” The new approach so emboldened Reiter that she was inspired to start her own business: "My career--and my income--lurched upward."