:: Robin Sharma

JNB: Just be nice

By Robin Sharma

Question for you: Why don’t we see being "noticeably nice" written into any job descriptions? There’s a ton of stuff in those descriptions about what needs to get done each day, but nice is just an accessory, it seems. An add-on. An afterthought. I don’t get it.

I believe that being nice is, in many ways, the very lifeblood of a world-class business. Being nice to teammates (so they love coming to work each day) attracts and retains superb talent. Being nice to your suppliers (so they go to the wall for you) is excellent for operations. And being nice to your customers (so they keep coming back) is the best way to grow your community of loyal and passionate followers. Nice is what builds enduring businesses.

Here’s an example: Went to my local deli yesterday. Felt like some protein and veggies for lunch. I was in an ultra-creative mode and wanted to feed my brain well. I decided on a portion of turkey and a snow pea salad. I asked for what I wanted.

The young woman behind the counter replied with a smile, "The rule is to sell the turkeys whole but I’m going to go see if I can break it for you." A minute later, I had my piece of turkey. She added with a wink, "I’ll give you the one with the most seasoning — you’ll love it." And on it went. Helping me. Wowing me. Being stunningly kind to me. A delicious experience of exceptional customer service. Because she was uncommonly nice.

Guess where I had lunch today? I returned there because, like most human beings, I do business with people who treat me well.

Who doesn’t want to help the nice ones succeed? Nice got my loyalty. It got my repeat business. It generated an evangelist. To world-class businesses, nice matters. So JBN. Daily.

— Excerpted from The Greatness Guide 2 by

Robin Sharma. Published by Jaico Publishing House, jaicopub@vsnl.com