Top 10 business maxims that need to go - Part - 4.

Top 10 business maxims that need to go - Part - 4.

 

 

It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
- Josh Billings (or Mark Twain or Artemus Ward or...)

 

Much well-known business advice is sadly obsolete but can still be found in articles, business books and, not least, in daily use in the workplace. It seems that some companies are still guided by thinking that is sadly out of date - if it was ever true to begin with.

 

The worst of these old maxims are not only wrong, they're bad for people and bad for business. Businesses who use them are making their employees unhappy and are harming the bottom line.

 

Here's my pick of the top 10 business maxims in serious need of an update - with a suggested replacement for each.

 

Old maxim #4: Nice guys finish last

Meaning: We cannot be too nice in business. In fact, being nice may hinder your career and impede results.

 

That's just not true, of course we should be nice at work. This does not mean that you have to be nice to all of the people all of the time, but it means that you absolutely can be a nice person and succeed in business. Lot of Articles is already written about jerks at work and why they are bad for business. The conclusion: Unpleasant people hurt the bottom line. In a networked world reputation matters and it is more important to be generous and likeable than to be ruthless and efficient.

 

New maxim: Nice guys get the job done.