By Holley Gerth

Planning a big meeting with clients? Don’t forget the chocolate. That’s just one of the morsels of advice from The Power of Nice: Conquering the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. As CEO/Chief Creative Officer and President respectively, these two women have turned the Kaplan Thaler Group into one of the most successful advertising firms in the country. On their journey to the top, they’ve learned that treating others well is actually the fastest way to climb the corporate ladder. Being nice also makes you happier, healthier and creates meaningful relationships.

The book touches on a variety of topics from giving compliments to getting along with enemies. The six power of nice principles in the second chapter provide the basis for the book’s ideas. For example, the first principle is “Positive impressions are like seeds.” Reminiscent of the biblical idea that you reap what you sow, this principle explains how being nice ultimately comes back around.

The following chapters expound on the six principles by touching on a variety of topics. They are broken down into brief segments with catchy titles like Get Off the ‘No’ Train.” Each one also offers “Nice Cubes” at the conclusion. These exercises help you put the power of nice into practice. For example, one Nice Cube challenges readers to stop acting like the star of their own personal movie and instead ask themselves how they can be great supporting actors for others.

The word “nice” has sometimes gotten a bad rap in the past. Kaplan Thaler and Koval realize this and emphasize that the power of nice is not about being a pushover. On the contrary, they assert, “Nice does not mean smiling blandly while others walk all over you. Nice does not mean being a doormat. In fact, we could argue that “nice is the toughest four-letter word you’ll ever hear.” This brings a new approach to the idea that you have to choose between being powerful or likeable, a dilemma many women struggle with in the workplace and their personal lives. Kaplan Thaler and Koval see an inherent connection between the two. In the conclusion they emphasize, “If you take anything away from this book, we hope that it’s the realization that there is untapped potential in even the smallest good deed, and that it can have a multiplier effect strong enough to change the world.”

Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is hardly a new idea, but it’s one we all seem to forget from time to time. Through helpful information, research and personal examples, The Power of Nice offers creative reminders about how to treat the people in our lives well. And if we decide to include a little more chocolate in the process, that’s just another way this book may make life a little sweeter. 

The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness
Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Currency (September 19, 2006)
Price: $17.95

Holley Gerth is a writer and creative manager for DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. She just published her first book-a Christmas story entitled The Greatest Shepherd of All. Holley shares her heart and home with her husband Mark and a very silly dog named Katie.