November 24, 2004 4:38 PM

Do nice people really finish last?
Posted by at 4:38 PM

We received a good amount of feedback on the article entitled "The bully principle" that was published in the BostonWorks section of The Boston Sunday Globe on Nov. 21, 2004. It really struck a chord with many and many commented that they could relate to the difficult workplace situations described in the article. The article also provides some suggestions on how to counteract the aggressive or bullying nature of others.

To counter the 'nice guys finish last' thought, FastCompany's "Nice Guys Can Finish First," identifies that having good people skills is a valuable trait and it will make the difference on how high you actually climb.

All other things being equal, your people skills (or lack thereof) become more pronounced the higher up you go. In fact, even when all other things are not equal, your people skills often make the difference in how high you go.

In the article, they list several of the questions that you should ask yourself about your interpersonal skills if you're looking to get ahead. If you can answer many of the questions in the affirmative, that bodes well for you in your future career aspirations.

Th[e] quick list of attributes, while attractive in a junior employee, is not the sort of thing that junior employees get lauded for. But further along in your career curve, when it's time to step up into a leadership position, you're going to need these qualities in spades. Stripped of your technical mastery and your hall-of-fame-quality lifetime batting average, what are the interpersonal skills that will make you rise above the leadership pack? Pick one, any skill that you feel you're lacking. And start developing it ... now.