Nice Guys Finish First!

At work we were talking about some people we worked with, who retired or transferred to other projects. Remembering them fondly, their quirks, and how they helped us. My program is in sustaining / cost saving mode, so there are a lot of former teammates. 

Interesting thing is no matter how successful they were, manager or higher, the people who came to mind were all nice. We did not waste our time on difficult people.

Later in the day thought about other co-workers over my 4 decades in manufacturing and business. Wondered where they went, their careers, retirements, and how they were doing? These people taught skills, they helped with problems, they asked for input and help as well. We do business with people we like and trust.

Have great friends from college freshman year, 43 years ago we started having Saturday dinners together. Still in touch though spread out over the country. 

Met their fathers, and like mine they were successful. More importantly they had character and were nice to those who could not help them. They raised us to stand on our own, ask questions, try something new, to fail and succeed. Our parents raised our siblings and us to be good citizens, charitable, as well as nice to people. 

What we learned has helped us through hard times, layoffs, relocating, new assignment, illnesses, marriages, and divorces. We pass on what we have learned to coworkers and the next generation. My family and friends have great children, and we get to spoil the grandkids.

Leo Durocher famously said, “Nice guys finish last.” He was wrong.

Nice guys and women build families, build churches, build teams, build great businesses and build communities you want to live in. Nice Guys Finish First!

“Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people -- your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.” -- Barbara Bush