Best Career Advice: Be Nice to Everyone.

Cathy Udv

December 10,2021 at 4:54PM UTC

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Best Career Advice: Be Nice to Everyone. You never know who the person is, they may be in street clothes the day you see them. Also, they may not be in a position of influence when you first meet them, but they may be promoted to be your boss. I've seen people make an ass of themselves in front of our new DM, because he is in street clothes when he stops by to say Hello.

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AnonymousDecember 10,2021 at 7:28PM UTC
A corollary to this I believe is "never share too much private stuff with anyone" because I think you never know whether they're going to interpret what you say the wrong way or telephone it the wrong people!
Christy K. HanthornDecember 10,2021 at 7:35PM UTC
I don't honestly recall getting a lot of advice, but I have often heard something to the effect of "You don't know what someone is going through. Try to be kind." It's free and it doesn't hurt you to be nice to someone. As a college instructor, I often find that students who are aggressive, sour-faced, sleepy, or disrespectful are often struggling at home or in life. It's easy to give that attitude right back; it's sometimes a bit more difficult to be pleasant, but it can make a big difference in that person's outlook.
Jennifer KaufmanDecember 17,2021 at 10:30PM UTC
You're right. I was a Sunday school teacher, and some of the kids were a bit challenging. But if we dug a bit deeper, we sometimes found out a child was dealing with problems at home. Maybe this child was being bullied at school. Maybe this child's parents were getting a divorce. We found out and acted accordingly.
AnonymousDecember 13,2021 at 6:59PM UTC
Reminds me of a funny work story. When I was a young wise you know what, I worked for a temp agency. In the first day to an assignment I was driving up and down the street looking for the building, rather slow in front of a building entrance. A man honked and shook his fist and me, and I gave the mid finger salute and continued on. When I came back down the street it was the correct building. That man was the president of the company. We laughed it off, apologized, and got along very well. The company was in process of merging with another company that bought them out, and I stayed with them until they closed my department. He was among the nicest people I have ever worked with in nearly 40 years and many jobs. Needless to say I never flipped the bird on the way to a new job ever again.
AnonymousDecember 15,2021 at 5:56PM UTC
It's honestly great advice. Being kind and respectful goes a long way. One of my favorite quotes:
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but will never forget how you made them feel."
- Maya Angelou
AlexisDecember 17,2021 at 12:55PM UTC
Totally agree!
AlexisDecember 17,2021 at 12:58PM UTC
This is great advice! I would also add to be consistent in the stories and perspectives you share with colleagues. Be genuine
Sarah DyeDecember 19,2021 at 7:16PM UTC
I 100% agree this is great advice. It is also something everyone needs to be reminded about from time to time. I agree with the others posts about kindness and being respectful. One small kind gesture can leave a lasting impression on people and can even inspires others to be kind.