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Can Simply Being Nice Save You Money?

Guest post by: John Grubbs

Article Overview: It occurred to me (at the tax office of all places) that simply being nice to others really does save us money. This morning while paying taxes, I was pleasant and took the time to be nice and two ladies really did everything in their power to save me some money. As I then drove to my office, I pondered the application of "simply being nice" to a more general business application. Can we as leaders role model being nice and teach our employees to be the same way? Can being nice impact our bottom line? Do we sometimes neglect the very people that mean success or failure in the game of business?

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Can Simply Being Nice Save You Money?

It occurred to me (at the tax office of all places) that simply being nice to others really does save us money.This morning while paying taxes, Iwas pleasant and took the time to be nice and two ladies really did everything in their power to save me some money. As I then drove tomy office, I pondered the application of "simply being nice" to a moregeneral business application. Can we as leaders role model being nice and teach our employees to be the same way? Can being nice impact our bottom line? Do we sometimes neglect the very people that mean success or failure in the game of business?

Let's look at some specific applications and test the theory of simply being nice to make or save more money. First, in a manufacturing or production environment we often find leaders that seem to undermine the very result they hope to achieve. Is there anyone out there that believes being mean, rudeor hostile with your employees will get you more production? Remember the secret mission of my book"Leadership Among Idiots" is to eradicate or at least control the epidemic of "idiocy" that seems to infect so many "idiot bosses" all over the world. I am not sure which is worst, the Flu or theinfection of so many idiots since the economy has declined. Some of these struggling leaders actually believe that being nice to your employees will get you less effort. They believe that being nice to your employees is a sign of weakness that will result in less productivity rather than more. What a tragic view of the human condition they have? I believe we can be pleasant and firm at the same time. We can be nice to our employees and still give them the consistency and fairness they prefer in a boss. Positive reinforcement does increase positive behavior. In other words, it is not a contradiction to be nice to your employees and still maintain trust and respect.

Second, think of "being nice" in the application of sales. The first and often most neglected rule of sales states that people want to do business with people they "like". In other words, we will often pay MORE to do business with people that we enjoy being around. In contrast, we will take our business from you quickly if we don't feel a connection to you our your business. Yet, we have all experienced bad customer service to the point that we really notice good customer service when we see it. Oddly enough, exceptional customer service now seems to be the exception rather than the norm. It simply blows my mind! Companies will spend millions of dollars to get that customer to walk in their door and spend little to nothing teaching employees how to treat them once they are there! I told you earlier that "idiocy" is extremely contagious!

Finally, think about the millions of idiot bossesthat don't value the very people that make them successful financially. Think about the many employees that are willing to leave their current job "today" if anything seemingly better comes along. Taking our people for granted and not taking the time to appreciate the effort is a true symptom of the idiocy disease. Even more remarkable are the statements that I hear when confronting the infected leaders among us. I hear things like, "They get a paycheck don't they?" or "I don't have time for being nice." Tragically, many will find out too late and realize the tremendous cost of losing a good employee only after they have left. I predict that we will see a very large "spike" in turnover cost for businesses as economy recovers and companies start searching for the best and the brightest among us! The "musical chairs" is about to begin and some companies are going to end up with the "left over employees" that others simply do not want. What will that cost them?

Is there an answer? Can we do something about the epidemic of "idiot leaders" that grace our board rooms, production floors, offices and sales floors?Following are a few steps to get started: 1) Recognize that you have neglected toclarify, role-model and reinforce the values for your team. Decision making is easy when values are clear! 2) Make it a daily mission to let your team knowthe "main thing" for your organization. Customer service, safety, quality...what is it? 3) DO NOT assume your leaders know how to be leaders. Provide them with the tools to be successful. I have coached CEOs that do not have the skills to lead. 4) Lead by example - be nice and watch your bottom line grow. I love the quote from Abraham Lincoln, "Do not confuse my kindness as weakness."

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About the Author: John Grubbs
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John Grubbs, MBA, CSTM, RPIH, is the principal consultant and owner of GCI, a full service training and consulting firm in Longview, Texas. Specializations include executive coaching, human resource consulting, safety consulting, behavior-based safety implementation and leadership training for supervisors, managers and executives. Clients include healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, education and service organizations. John has over 15 years of leadership experience, published several books and articles and works with leaders at all levels to improve the performance of many well-known companies internationally. He holds degrees in Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Technology and a Master of Business Administration with a focus on organizational leadership. John is an affiliate member of the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches. He is a Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Senior Technology Manager. John is a dynamic and energetic speaker as well as a popular trainer and business coach. Current memberships include the American Society of Safety Engineers, American Industrial Hygiene Association, National Association of Industrial Technology and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

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