Nice girls don’t necessarily finish last—likeability has to count for something—but that doesn’t mean they always finish first either. In an article on Refinery29, Lindsey Stanberry looks into the nice girl's psyche and points out a few flaws in her strategy.
Saying yes to everything
When someone asks you to make photocopies or get coffee, do you find yourself agreeing even though you’ve already moved beyond being everybody’s assistant? "Maybe you even think that kind of 'can-do' spirit will be noticed and appreciated. Maybe you tell yourself this, right up until the moment you don’t get the raise you were hoping for," Stanberry says.
Trying to be Miss Congeniality
You’re not going to get promoted because you’re the friendliest one in the department or because you bake the best brownies, unless, of course, you’re a baker, so why not devote more time to actually doing your job?
"People don’t get high-profile projects, win promotions, or make a name in their field because they planned office parties or remembered all their coworkers' birthdays," says Ask A Manager founder Alison Green. "You only have so much energy and focus at work; spending on this sort of housekeeping means that you’re not spending it where it will actually benefit you."
