Nobody Wants to Work for an Asshole
In the working world being nice is sometime perceived as not being as competent. In a survey a few years ago it was determined that people who are considered “disagreeable and aggressive” received 18% higher pay than people considered kind and cooperative. And we all know managers like this. Usually really smart and good at what they do. But nobody likes them because they’re not nice people. The research organization should have surveyed about these manager’s ability to build strong teams and retain good employees. I bet the results would have been very different.
One of the pillars of the Living Happier @ Work program is Kindness. Positive Psychology research confirms that kindness makes changes in the work environment that improves teamwork. Kindness touches the person who is kind, the recipient of the kind act and anyone who witnesses the act of kindness. Being kind to people is powerful and it creates a ripple effect around an office.
Social connections are the biggest indicator of happiness at the job. It makes sense because if you don’t feel connected to the people you work with, you probably don’t like your job a whole lot either. In fact, the connection to the person you report to on the org chart is the most important relationship you have at the office. Having a boss who is considerate and kind makes a big difference.
As more companies begin to understand and implement the research-based solutions offered by Positive Psychology, we expect to see a shift in management training to encouraging kindness and consideration among coworkers. It is good business sense. Managers who focus on positive aspects of their teams create a more productive work environment for their staff.
What has to happen for execs to see that likeable management teams are better for the company than folks who might be really intelligent, but are basically mean?
