Incivility is on the Rise: Four Steps to Stop It
by Diane Berenbaum, Senior Vice President of Communico Ltd. -
May 24, 2010
Incivility is on the Rise: Four Steps to Stop It by Diane Berenbaum, Senior Vice President of Communico Ltd.
There is a disturbing trend in Corporate America. Despite increased talk about improving corporate culture, there is a civility problem in the workplace. It is wreaking havoc on employee relationships, morale, as well as the bottom line. And few business leaders are doing anything to stop it. According to The Cost of Bad Behavior, by Christine Pearson and Christine Porath, it is far more widespread than people realize—and it has devastating effects. Here are just a few of the statistics from their research study of 800 employers:
• 96% have experienced incivility at work
• 48% of employees claim they were treated uncivilly at work at least once a week
• 10% said they witnessed civility every day
• Percentage of workers treated uncivilly who get even with their offenders: 94%
What is Incivility?
Pearson and Porath define it as “the exchange of seemingly inconsequential inconsiderate words and deeds that violate conventional norms or workplace conduct.” Sometimes it is blatant, like:
• losing one’s temper or yelling at someone in public
• rude or obnoxious behavior
• badgering or back-stabbing
• withholding important information
• sabotaging a project or damaging someone’s reputation
And others times it may be a bit more subtle, like:
• arriving late to a meeting
• checking email or texting during a meeting
• not answering calls or responding to emails in a timely manner
• ignoring or interrupting someone
• not saying “please” or “thank you”
Incivility does not just happen between coworkers. About a quarter of the customers they surveyed believe disrespectful behavior is more common today than it was five years ago. Forty percent said they experience rudeness from service employees at least once a month!
Why Does it Matter?
It can have a devastating impact on individuals as well as the organization as a whole. When incivility is prevalent in an organization, stress levels increase and performance suffers.
Associates become less engaged, which means they also become de-motivated, apathetic and even angry. They put in less effort, produce lower quality and maybe even burn out. Perhaps you’ve seen these telltale signs, which lead to losses in productivity, efficiency and profitability. According to Banishing Burnout by M.P.Leiter and C. Maslach, the annual cost of job stress alone due to incivility at U.S. corporations is $300 billion.
Why are People Uncivil?
1. Lack of Trust
When people don’t trust their associates, they can resort to some pretty harsh tactics to ensure they are “doing what they are supposed to do.” One friend, who worked for a European company, told me that the president would call the office every day at 5 p.m. U.S. time; just to be sure everyone there was still working. That means it was 10:00 p.m. his time. Surely he had better things to do at that time of the night.
2. Lack of Self-Awareness
A VP at a former employer would often mock his subordinates, thinking it was funny and that others found it funny too. We didn’t. When I was suffering from a condition that made me itch, he would scratch himself all over every time he saw me…even long after I was better. I got very tired of it and lost respect for him. He had no idea this behavior was inappropriate, especially for someone at his level.
3. Insecurity/Ego
Some employees get so focused on “looking good” or are so fearful of losing authority that they resort to uncivil behavior. I’ll never forget a very driven associate who was intensely interested in getting ahead, even at the expense of others. She would show off to senior managers, attempt to sabotage any competitors and treat everyone else like dirt.
4. Stress
Chances are most of us are stressed these days, given the economic situation and uncertainties about the future. We’re working longer and harder than ever and we’re not sure when things will get better. And very often, stress can make us do or say things out of the ordinary. We might snap at a coworker, get impatient with an indecisive customer, bark directions, ignore requests or just neglect common courtesies.
What Can We Do About it?
1. Increase Awareness
The first step is to recognize that incivility is an issue that can debilitate an individual and an organization. Educate associates about the cost and impact of uncivil behavior. Most people don’t even realize the trend; or know the cause of their malaise or frustration at work. Define what it is and what it looks like. And, share the impact of continued incivility to increase the sense of urgency to address it.
2. Create Standards and Value Civility
Agree to set a clear, written standard for behavior, noting what is acceptable and what is not. Leadership needs to be not only involved in the process, but committed to modeling civility and reinforcing its importance. Communicate the standards with all associates so they understand how to consistently demonstrate respect and concern for others.
Be sure to recognize and reward those who model it, so associates see that it is a serious commitment—a value of the organization, not just words on a wall or plaque. Equally important is addressing incidents and complaints, and taking corrective action to show incivility is not tolerated.
3. Provide Training and Coaching
Some people may not even realize they exhibit uncivil behavior—they figure this is “not about me.” Well, chances are they lack self-awareness (like some of the perpetrators) and/or have no idea how to change behavior that may be ingrained. Training associates in your new standard will help create an open, friendly and accepting environment.
Ideally, the training would be experiential and include realistic skill practices that are videotaped, so associates can see and hear how they sound. This helps associates realize the impact of their behaviors and creates the desire to change.
4. Encourage Open Communication and Feedback
To sustain the new culture, put systems in place to encourage open communication so that it becomes the norm. Leaders need to create a safe environment so associates are not fearful when sharing concerns or reporting incidents.
Promote constructive and open feedback so associates learn how to demonstrate respect and common courtesy, really listen to each other and be more accepting of each others’ ideas and opinions. Continue the dialogue and engage associates in the process by gathering their input. Share progress along the way so everyone can see the impact of their efforts and celebrate successes.
Why Bother?
It makes sense to cultivate a climate of civility and a culture of openness and inclusion. According to P.M. Forni, the co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project and author of Choosing Civility:
“A civil workplace is good for workers, since the workers’ quality of life is improved in such an environment. But a civil workplace is also good for the customers, since the quality of service they receive from happier and more relaxed service providers is improved.”
And, it is the right and most civil thing to do.
Diane Berenbaum, Senior Vice President of Communico Ltd. (www.communicoltd.com) 203-226-7117
|