June 1st is Say Something Nice Day, which is a fabulous idea, but...is there a danger in being too nice at work or in creating a culture that champions being "nice" above all else? Of course there is! (Seriously, why else would I pose the question?) 

There is a difference between being nice and being kind. And sometimes there's a difference between being nice and doing the right thing.

I'm certainly not suggesting that people behave like jerks or that being nice isn't important - we all hopefully learned to play nice way back in kindergarten. But here are a few potential pitfalls of playing too nice at work:

1. You run the risk of making bad decisions by conforming to group think in an effort to not rock the boat and a desire to just go along to get along. The kindest thing you can do for your company is to create a psychologically safe environment for passionate debates, challenging questions, and alternative viewpoints. 

2. You don't speak up in the face of a safety concern because you don't want to be "that person" or create any conflict, so in your effort to be nice you put a colleague's life at risk. The kindest thing you can do at work is to speak up when you see an unsafe work practice.

3. You run the risk of burning out because you say yes to every request that comes your way - because you want to be nice! The kindest thing you can do for your own mental health, for your boss, and for your team is to learn to say 'no' so you have the time and energy to say 'yes' to things that truly matter.

4. In an effort to be overly nice you run the risk of damaging your self-esteem and reputation because people end up treating you as the proverbial doormat. The kindest thing you can do for yourself is to respectfully stand your ground when needed. (In a kind way, of course!)

5. You create an environment that doesn't allow for open and honest feedback, so colleagues never hear the difficult truths that could have made their life easier, your team's life easier, and improved your company's performance. The kindest thing you can do is to offer constructive feedback in an honest, respectful way.

6. You end up tolerating abusive customers at the expense of your employees' health and wellness, and at the expense of your brand reputation. The kindest thing you can do is recognize that the customer isn't always right - sometimes they're a major league jerk! The kindest thing you can do for your company is to fire your worst customers!

7. You tolerate jerks at work which ends up costing you far more than you likely realize. Confronting and ultimately dealing with jerks is never easy, nor particularly nice, but it's the kindest thing you can do for the rest of your employees and customers.  

Does this resonate with you? Have you ever experienced this at work or been guilty of being too nice at work? What dangers have I missed? I would, as always, welcome your thoughts!