Be nice to everyone, not just the people that can benefit you.
There is a good little book entitled, "The Power of Nice" that talks about showing kindness to everyone, no matter who they are - because today's interns are tomorrow's C-level executives.
I witnessed this phenomenon first hand when I was a recruiter. I met people that had left a company years prior and burned lots of bridges, only to find out that a former coworker was now the hiring manager at a company that they really wanted to work for. As you can imagine, they did not get the job. As a result, I always tell people to be careful how they treat others because it's a tremendously small world out there.
Are you being nice to the underdogs at work? Do you show compassion to those "nobodies" you meet in life? If not, I challenge you to do so. You may be surprised by the amazing people all around you. Further, your niceness today will come back around to benefit you tomorrow.
I am dealing with this very thing at work. I am considered the nobody for the type of work I do and am treated like less than human. It has created a lot of emotional stress and low self-esteem. However, I know that I am going to be one of those C-level executives one day and I sure hope to see some of the people that have treated me like crap. I would definitely hire them and show them love and respect...I am a firm believer in being the bigger and better person. Love your Blog...I stumbled upon it by doing a search for ITIL certification. I am considering it.
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Thank you for your answer to my LinkedIn question about Project Management groups - PMI's Mass Bay chapter seems like a great starting point, and I will make a point to follow up with them.
Also, I agree with your post. Treating others with consideration - regardless of position level - is always the best course of action. It's safe, because (as you posted) it's a small world out there, and giving others a negative impression of yourself is like sowing a social minefield that you'll have to navigate around in the future.
This works both ways. If people report to you, show them how you value their work. If you report to someone (a manager, CEO, Board of Directors, investors, a coworker whom you admire), it's important to recognize their good work as well. In my experience, this can lead to work relationships with more trust and more open communication.
I'd also add that it's a good idea to not only show compassion, but to shoot for empathy as well. Understanding where someone is coming from goes a long way towards helping me to be compassionate towards them (because sometimes this is a challenge!). Don't take this so far that you're rendered ineffective (example, a manager who lets employee behavior slip because he or she is too conscious of the employees personal troubles), but do try to consider their perspective.
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