Smile!

I believe that myself, as an Alverno professional starts off with a great personality, treat others the way you would like to be treated. This simple principle of being nice, and saying hello with a smile, is often times over looked as a professional way of conduct. Being a stick in the mud and not allowing others to get comfortable around you is one of the worst managing techniques. Being stand off-ish and unavailable while at work puts a wall up between your collegues.

Being accessible, friendly and always willing to help is a great way to make a name for yourself and get you to the position you want. But being friendly and being a push over is a fine line in the business world. Think of the human resources field. I want to get to know my colleagues, but when they try to push through me to get the pay rate that they want or to bend the policies; I have to show them that I will not be pushed around. This doesn’t mean that I will be mean to those pushy people the next time they ask to change their W-2 status.

Being a nice person is a way of life, not just a thought for the day. I challenge you to start the "nice" way of life. Smile. Acknowledge people as they walk down the hallway with “hey.” 95% will reward you with a smile.