In what is arguably one of the worst times in American history since the Great Depression, the people of America have their chins decidedly up.
The sanguine mood is characterized by “an outbreak of niceness across the cultural landscape — an attitude bubbling up in commercials, movies and even, to a degree, the normally not-nice blogosphere,” the New York Times reports.
Harvard MBA students are making a promise to be ethical in an age of immorality, young talent is shifting towards do-gooder jobs, and more people are holding the elevator door open for me daily.
Enron and Madoff are no match for the almost hermetic happiness that now protects the Nation. It’s not sugar-coated like the self-help decade of the nineties. Nor does it resemble the maudlin contentment of the shut-eyed fifties. Instead, it’s a cheerfulness that smiles next to adversity.
It’s nourished by President Obama himself, who has cottoned such unprecedented praise and agreement that the press can’t help but gush. That goodness has spread virally – as happiness has been proven to do – and companies and individuals are following suit.
“Companies that have the highest retention have the nicest atmospheres,” the New York Times reports. “And in a situation where people are losing their jobs and you have an option of whom to hire, you’re going to hire the person who is complimenting your tie. Nice becomes a competitive edge.”
Alice.com is a good example of this. It’s not just that we have a ping pong table and encouraged nap time, but that our co-founders consistently encourage and compliment employees, partners, customers, potential vendors, and others. I didn’t even know this was a viable way to do business. That is, our work is not predicated on fear, failure, politics, or manipulation.
Such plushy and persistently optimistic companies give power back to the employee, back to the customer, and back to the idea of social community where the greater good is served over the individualistic ambitions of wealth or influence.
Mean is out. Earnestness and altruism are in fashion. Humility is an aphrodisiac. The roof has caved in, and people are responding accordingly. Not by panicking, but pulling up their bootstraps and making lemonade. And giving their neighbor some. And the prostitute down the street. And the dog too.
Even hard-core adherents to darker fantasies like Eminem are “just coming clean and exhaling.” The rapper’s newest album ripostes on his drug addictions, and his subsequent challenges and triumphs more than women stuffed into trunks.
Because when you’ve hit bottom – and we all have now, whether rich and poor – a great opportunity exists to find commonality in the grace of our ascension.
And while our children will most certainly rebel against us, perhaps under the objectivism of Ayn Rand or the cynicism of Gen X, our optimism, vanilla, mediocre and conservative as it may be, is prevailing.
What is happening now is that glee is rising from collectively pushing forward at all costs, not knowing if it will work and accepting that there’s a good chance it won’t, and working towards something greater. All together. With differences of opinion, but with respect as well. With civility and common courtesy. And with confidence in humanity’s decency.
35 replies on “Niceness is the new career trend”
I could not agree more Rebecca – what we’re seeing, as you said, is during these times of struggle and overcoming obstacles – people are joining together, the collective spirit is becoming all the more apparent. Maybe it’s because we sort of have to – maybe it’s because more and more people are realizing that reaching out and lending a hand (and in many cases accepting that hand in return) is exactly what is needed.
That’s where I am. I thought I was invincible, I thought I could do it all on my own and figure everything out. But now, what I realize, is I can’t do it all – there are outside forces in play that are simply out of my control. It’s a difficult thing, for a person like me, who is extremely independent, to reach out and ask someone to lend a hand through the struggle. But I think it can be a noble thing – I think that humility and acceptance can and will make me (and everyone else going through a similar situation) stronger in the end.
Nice does work – good conquers evil and selfishness. Great thoughts Rebecca.
@ Matt – I appreciate you sharing your perspective. Especially because another trend that I see that supports the idea that nice is back is a new faction of bloggers, including yourself, that are dedicated to writing about issues that matter and meaningful change. In each niche, whether Gen Y or parent blogger, this group deals with themes of positivity. So thanks for being part of the inspiration for this piece : )
Rebecca – we really are seeing more and more people extending themselves – reaching out and influencing others, impacting other lives. Why? Because they (we) can. There is something inside of all of us that longs to be more, wants to be heard, maybe deep down in our core it’s vain and we really all just want recognition, but I think it’s much more than that – I think reaching out to others is something many are simply passionate about – and can use different mediums to share their message and spread the word. Blogging, song-writing and performing, volunteering with a local charity. I am a firm believer that people are inherently good, they want to do good, and they want to share good with others. Now, more then ever, we’re seeing that in the most difficult of times, good shines through.
Great blog post, Rebecca. I find this interesting because I think that there’s a common misconception that nice people cannot succeed in the workforce (especially for women); there’s a perception that in order to climb the corporate ladder, you have to look out for yourself and that you almost have to be narcissistic and self-serving to get ahead. But I think the changing workforce has helped us to realize that by just being nice, by performing random acts of kindness and just thinking about others before ourselves, leads to a workforce that is not only more pleasant, but will also lead to more success.
@ Matt – Here, here. Let’s hope that the trend continues and we continue to make real difference in the world.
@ Jennifer – Those are great points. I was optimistic entering the workforce, but became quickly disillusioned and thought that I would have to “play the (not-so-nice) game” to get ahead. I was pleased to find a workplace like Alice that doesn’t feed into those misconceptions. I agree that the more pleasant a place is, the more successful it will be – thanks for the comment!
Well said Rebecca – hubris and selfish behavior thrive on good times, not bad, so we certainly have a silver lining to our cloud right now with this”new humility”. Now we just need to keep everyone in our camp once things turn back up – and you can bet I’ll give that my best shot! As you well know, however, I just don’t like calling it “niceness”. Too many complications with that one. :-)
Thanks too for the link, and all the best!
Terry
Nice post! This is a good reminder for me as we face some challenging times ahead that it is important on to focus on being positive and in many ways, that will set you apart more than if you follow the cynicism that although may be getting more quiet, still exists in the workplace. Now, more about this recommended nap time thing you mention….sounds wonderful!
Loved this! Well said.
I wish more people would hop on the niceness train. Too many people (mostly Gen Xers) at my Former Company were grumpy meany-heads and that made me kind of glad to get laid off and get out of there.
Ah, I love to hear this. I’ve seen assholes, who push past everyone to make their way to the top versus the “nice” ones. This even translates to the workplace. Without a doubt, the company culture and “nice” factor goes straight into my decision making and appreciation for a company (startup or not). This is a great post and I’m really enjoying the research you’ve provided to support it. Go nice! :)
@ Terry – Thanks for the comment and I’m glad to hear you’ll be rallying the troops for the nice parade ; )
@ Angie – Ha, yes, I’ve never taken a nap myself, but I like that the option is there. I think it’s really important to be positive in the workplace – that makes you more likeable and both lead to more success.
@ Cee – Your comment made me laugh out loud. I too have experienced many Gen X curmudgeons…. but there’s some good ones out there too (like my current bosses). Thanks so much for the comment!
@ Grace – Nice guys finish first finally? Sounds like a good trend to me. I think people are fatigued from jerks. For awhile you can take it – and it’s almost interesting, like a car accident that you can’t look away from – but then you realize it’s much easier to be good.
Great piece, Rebecca. Along the same lines, I think, was the article in NYTimes this weekend about “warmer, fuzzier” corporate logos.
Clearly, some kind of pleasantness is afoot.
It’s very interesting to watch it unfold. It certainly gives us broader insight into the ways in which the values and characteristics of past generations were formed.
Executives trying to break into social media are going to be pleasantly (or unpleasantly if they are douches) surprised by the level of good karma, support and general positivity of those on the platform. Like the parallel with Obama as well. Good stuff Rebecca!
Oh Rebecca, this is a beautiful read. Your positive thinking is contagious, and it’s hard not to agree with you on this. I actually think that we have to feel the luckiest people in the world for living “once-in-a-hundred-years” crisis in our 20’s. There’s not a doubt in my mind that we’ll learn and grow like no generation before us.
I’m also convinced that seeing this almost from the outside (since it’s not because of our decisions that we’ve hit bottom but because of previous generations) will let us analyze it better. We’ll have the tools and knowledge to change some things in order to creat a nicer scenario, a more caring one.
To sum up, I’m excited about the future. And connecting with people like you, who writes about this only gets me more excited. Kudos for this post Rebecca, it’s amazing.
@ Alli – Ooh, thanks for sharing that link! I wish I had seen that before writing this. I know the Pepsi and Obama logos have been widely reported on for their optimism.
@ Stuart – Definitely. Social media is a place where goodness – mostly, at least – prevails and forgiveness is quick for companies that respond and are engaged.
@ Carlos – Thanks for the kind words. It is an exciting time and yet a calm time despite all the ruckus that is occurring. I so appreciate your comment, because you, like Matt above, were one of my inspirations for this piece. Your positivity has certainly spread. Rock on : )
I think ‘nice’ is a false and disingenuous way of navigating through the world. When you’re nice, you avoid conflict. When you avoid conflict, you fail to solve problems.
When you’re nice, you are distracted. That’s how they want you, by the way. Distracted.
I’m not an advocate of paranoid ruthlessness, but I won’t be joining hands with my fellow citizens anytime soon. It doesn’t accomplish anything.
People are tired of working with a-holes and realizing there is enough talent out there with great attitude, ethical behavior, team attitude, and other great character traits that make it _easy_ and _more productive_ to work with. The new trends in building teams are in finding great group of players who produce together, instead of bunch of prima donas who may produce good amount of revenue, but have an attitude that can be likened with the one of a streetwalker.
One of my former CEOs used to say, that he started a company, because he did not want to hire a-holes. That company grew 600% in two years I was there.
I am trying to decide if all of these comments are simply confirming the premise of the post or if it is just difficult to say something negative about being nice.
If you work for a vanilla organization, there is no doubt that vanilla attitudes get you ahead. And hey, I can appreciate that from an HR standpoint. It isn’t necessarily easier to manage (because these types of organizations sit on problems longer as to avoid rocking the proverbial boat and culture is such a huge deal that you lose out on talented people that would rock the boat), but it certainly seems nicer.
That being said, there are just too many examples of businesses (and countries) getting ahead using cutthroat techniques. The NYT article emphasizes branding messages and customer service techniques that are probably a reaction to economic conditions more than (likely temporary) cultural flourishes.
Using one of the examples from the article, Pepsi made by PepsiCo may have a friendly brand image that sells well to consumers but they are notoriously cutthroat. In order to gain entry into India, they partnered with local firms and then cut them loose when they weren’t necessary anymore. They’ve dropped more marketing managers, VP’s and execs than most companies their size in their pursuit of market share. And it has been successful. Their growth since the 80’s has been characterized by consistent rises in both stock price and market share even though they are a perennial number two to Coca-Cola.
If culture is getting nicer, maybe some of that carries over into business. Reality is, especially for publicly traded companies and some venture funded, it is all about the Benjamin’s. Whether they can get results using honey or vinegar, they’ll figure out which one will do it or their board and financiers will find someone else. It explains why both Google and PepsiCo can be successful with different cultures.
@ Laurie – Ah, I wrote a whole post about this awhile ago – about how Gen Y was too freaking nice and if we didn’t engage in some conflict once in awhile, if we didn’t disagree – respectfully, of course – that things wouldn’t get done.
That being said, I think far too many of us hold on to the idea that we have to have conflict for success. You see that a lot in the blogosphere. For instance, the most successful posts have a strong point of view that conflicts with something or someone else. I personally learn a lot from that type of dialogue. But sometimes it’s good to just laugh once in awhile… which you’re totallly good at : )
@ Apollo – Haha, I loved your story – thanks for sharing. I agree that it’s just not fun anymore to work with jerks, whether those people are making money or not. And research shows that you’ll make more money and be more successful in the long-run if you act like a human being. Imagine that.
@ Lance – I’m not talking about vanilla organizations. I think of American Family Insurance when I think of those. They’re headquartered here in Madison, are perfectly successful and are frankly a little bland. That’s good for them, but it’s not what I’m talking about.
Specifically, the example I used was my own company, Alice.com which is far from vanilla, but we’re still nice. Those two words aren’t interchangeable.
I’m also not talking about people who rock the boat. Since when does being nice preclude innovation? It doesn’t.
What I am talking about is a new trend that is moving forward in our government, our culture, our companies and our families that is a response to the current economic conditions. We’ve all been brought down a notch and realize we’re not alone.
And there are now more examples than ever of companies who are taking a different approach. Businesses do have to make money. What is encouraging about the time we’re living in now is that making money doesn’t exclude being human. And thank God for that.
Companies aren’t faceless any longer. We now have people, relationships and conversations.
The recession is affecting everyone, even those who have found a way to maintain their jobs. It certainly seems that people are being nicer, and it might be because it’s not just one segment of society that is being affected. Millions of people in the U.S. are identifying with each other in ways they may not have previously done etc…
Rebecca, I really enjoyed this one! I’m so happy that niceness is the new trend, although I wish that it was a constant in our lives. It’s funny that the concept of making the workplace enjoyable and finding ways to ensure that your employees look forward coming to work are foreign to so many businesses. My company sounds like yours, we have a couple of pinball machines in the lunchroom, and we’re actually taking a trip to Six Flags on Thursday. People love working here and it’s no coincidence that we have a very low turnover rate. Nice is definitely the way to go. Great post!
Great post. I wrote about something similar lately, how the world is changing. More and more people are starting to go into public service or non-profits, and people are wanting to do good. I think that’s a huge part of this change as more people realize the importance of social change and begin to get involved themselves.
And with the negative outlook on greed due to the latest recession, ethical and socially responsible business is becoming the next big thing. It’s no longer considered cool to climb the corporate ladder through cheating or corruption, but you now have to do it in an ethical manner. It’s time to put aside the greed and start doing good.
@ Jason – Exactly – we’re all in the same boat so it’s easier to relate to each other. I just hope we don’t forget that when the scale becomes uneven again.
@ Sam – Sounds like an awesome company. I want to go to Six Flags! Thanks for sharing your story. I think it’s important to talk more about what’s working instead of what’s not.
@ Akhila – Definitely. We’ve been tracking similar posts for awhile now : ) I like that you brought up that nice is actually cool too.
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“Mean is out”… I bit optimistic shall we say? But I do really hope that you are right! :)
Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America calls it “The New Sincerity.” http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2006/02/manifesto-for-new-sincerity.html – interesting post!
I really enjoyed this post and feel excited to be living in a time where optimism is getting its fair due. One of the things I think Generations Y and younger have been trying to crack for some time now is how to do well by doing good, i.e., not thinking of success and social contribution as mutually exclusive. Many new entrepreneurial models build this idea into their business plans. Conducting one’s affairs with kindness is the basis for that philosophy, since niceness creates a foundation for social good.
I hope that this turns out to be more than a simple Sunday trending piece in the Times–in some ways I think our future depends on it.
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