When Dr. Marcia Sirota was “too nice” she lost sight of her own wants and needs, and her personal life fell apart. That led her to shift her psychiatry practice, and found the Ruthless Compassion Institute to focus on the “nice versus kind” conundrum.

“People go to extremes in how they deal with themselves and each other,” Marcia told Career Buzz listeners (May 13, 2015). “They’re either too hard or too easy on themselves. And when dealing with each other they’re too tolerant of mistreatment, or too aggressive.”

How the clues apply to you: Marcia’s fresh perspective is finding balance between these two opposing points of view. Stop being “nice” and pleasing others at the expense of your own wellbeing. “Be kind to yourself, which is being honest but loving; be kind with each other which is caring but setting limits and boundaries.” Now, take that perspective into your workplace.

Download and enjoy learning from the May 13, 2015 podcast, also featuring Judi Walsh, the “habit interpreter.”

*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA