24EN Editor's Note：Conventional business wisdom has long held that the nice guy -- or gal -- won't get as far up the corporate ladder as the cutthroat competitor.

传统的商业经在很长一段时间内都认定好好先生（或女士）在职场晋升的斗争中会输给那些残酷的竞争对手。

Today's challenging economic times would seem to allow even less room for pleasantries in the business world.

如今越来越严峻的经济形势更使得那些老好人在商场无藏身之所。

But executive coach Russ C. Edelman,  who is a principal in a Boston-based consulting firmbelieves otherwise.

但是波士顿一家咨询公司的主要负责人、执行教练Russ C. Edelman则有不同的意见。

"The underlying element is balance -- you can't be a jerk, and you can't be too nice," says Edelman,"You have to be assertive and cordial."

Edelman说：“最基本的要点是平衡性—你不要去做个混蛋，但是你也不用太好。你必须要非常自信、很热忱。”

Here are six of his strategies for how nice employees -- and their companies -- can finish first.

以下六条建议是那些好员工和他们的公司可以率先做到的。

Warts and All

不隐瞒任何缺点

Rather than trying to seem perfect, being honest about your shortcomings in an interview or on the job can be perceived as an asset.

与其试图让自己看起来很完美，还不如在面试或工作中诚实的承认自己的缺点，这样的话别人才会认为你是有价值的员工。

"People need to maintain a level of awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. It's important from an interview perspective that you can be candid," says Edelman.

Edelman说：“人们需要对自己的优缺点有一定的认识。从面试官的角度来说你的坦率是很重要的。”

Set Limits

设置上限

You'll earn more respect from your boss and colleagues if you set appropriate limits, while pledging to support shared goals.

在承诺为共同的目标提供支持时设置恰当的限度会让你的上司和同事更加尊重你。

People laud the corporate hero -- the person going above and beyond -- but not corporate martyrs, who have killed themselves and potentially put the business in a compromised situation.

人们会称赞公司的英雄——那个鹤立鸡群的人，但是不会称赞公司的殉难者，那些不仅让自己壮烈牺牲还让公司陷于两难境地的人。

Decisions, Decisions

决策，决心

Don't be so overwhelmed by the number of difficult choices that you make none at all. It's OK as a manager to operate a "selective democracy" in which you take a sampling of views to get input, but don't include everyone in the process.

不要被那些根本不需要你拿主意的困难抉择而打败。你也可以用“民主选择”的方式收集几个人的意见，然后整理给经理，让他来做决策，在整个过程中并不需要每个人都顾及到。

"Overly nice guys are too enamored with trying to get everyone involved."

“滥好人都太执着于试图让每个人都参与进来。”

The Courage to Speak Up

敢于说出来的勇气

Learn to find a comfortable place between speaking up about a problem -- and those responsible for it -- and maintaining respect for others.

学会在说出一个问题以及要承担的相关责任之间找到一个舒服的位置，并且要尊重他人。

"You want to be able to demonstrate you have skills to have the 'courageous discussion' and confront and disarma situation without it becoming very ugly."

你要能够证明在一个问题变得非常难堪之前你有面对困难、有讨论的勇气以及有解决问题的能力。

Risks Lead to Rewards

冒险给你带来回报

Don't be afraid to take a risk by putting your great idea or proposal out there. At the same time, find a way to do so that suits your personal style.

不要害怕把你的好想法和提案说出来会承担风险。同时，也要找到一种符合你个人风格的方式来做这件事。

"Are you someone who's going to walk up to the CEO and say, 'This is what I like and this is what I don't like about the company,' or someone who has to float an idea by 60 people? What if you have a great idea and your manager doesn't want to hear it? Do you go around him?"

“你是这样的人吗？径直走进CEO办公室，跟他说‘对于本公司，哪些是我喜欢的，哪些是我不喜欢的“还是说你有想法后要去询问60个人的意见？如果你有个很棒的主意而你的经理不采纳怎么办？你是否会绕过他呢？”

Win-Win Situation

双赢的情况

If you come up with the goods to qualify for a promotion or land new business for the company, accept your good fortune.更多信息请访问：http://www.engbus.cn/

如果你符合了晋升的条件或者为公司谈了一笔新生意，那就坦然接受你的好运吧。

"You have a right to win," Edelman says. "So many overly nice guys will compromise their success and their companies' to avoid hurting someone else's feelings. They would rather lose themselves than see one of their friends or colleagues lose out on the situation."

Edelman说：“你有赢的权利，而有的滥好人会为了怕伤害到其他人的感情而放弃了自己的成功，也给公司带来了伤害。他们宁愿自己失败也不愿意看到一个朋友或同事出局。”