N.I.C.E. GUYS

The dictionary defines nice as “pleasant, agreeable, and satisfactory." When I think of a N.I.C.E. Guy, that is exactly what I picture, a man who is infallibly pleasant, agreeable, and satisfactory, but nothing more.

What makes a man that way? How does he become nice? The answer is in the word, N.I.C.E., which stands for Not: Intentional, Candid or Excellent.

Intentional is deliberate action toward defined ends. The Intentional man has a Vision towards which he is advancing. He has an outcome in mind which defines and directs his actions. He might break some eggs along the way in a way that some would find unpleasant, but he will not let that stop him. He is not going to be N.I.C.E. about it.

Candid is graciously telling the hard truth and demanding to hear it from others. The Candid man thinks it is a strange kind of love to leave a man in a lie for fear that the truth will hurt his feelings. He knows that hard truth is by nature disagreeable to some, but he will not let that stop him. He is not going to be N.I.C.E. about it.

Excellent is superior performance of critical skills. The Excellent man knows what he must do very well achieve his Vision. And he knows that most people will accept mere satisfactory performance, but he will not let that stop him. He is not going to be N.I.C.E. about it.

Because he is Intentional, Candid and Excellent that type of man knows that he cannot also be consistently pleasant, agreeable, and satisfactory. He cannot be N.I.C.E. and have high IMPACT, which is forcible contact to strong effect. The high IMPACT man is not N.I.C.E and does not apologize for that because it would be fake. It would be like a a tall man apologizing for his height.

Such apologies are for N.I.C.E. Guys. Feeling guilty for their mere existence and fearful of the effects of forcible contact, they walk softly hoping to avoid ruffling a single feather. They live their lives as an apology for which nobody has ever asked.

A man can have IMPACT, or he can be N.I.C.E. But he cannot do both.