Bad Behavior in the Workplace: How Incivility Will Ruin Your Company
Bad Behavior in the Workplace: How Incivility Will Ruin Your Company
Bad Behavior in the Workplace:How Incivility Will Ruin Your Company
By:Duane CummingsUnfortunately, bad behavior in the workplace is at an all time high. Not only are customers reporting complaints at record levels, but also instances of employee on employee abuse are rampant. Incivility is taking its' toll and eroding companies from the inside out.Incivility has been defined as;the exchange of seemingly inconsequential inconsiderate words and deeds that violate conventional norms of workplace conduct.Both customers and employees are being affected negatively and swift action needs to be taken to change the situation.Acts of incivility are now the norm and happen on a daily if not hourly basis.Sometimes the offense is intended; sometimes it is not.Lack of acknowledgement, interrupting conversations, talking loudly in common areas, arriving late for meetings, not introducing a newcomer, not returning emails, faxes, texts, phone calls, emails, or showing little interest in another individual's opinion are possibly unintended acts or poor behavior that happen regularly to both employee's and customers.Incivility doesn't have to involve drama and is most subtle when people are simply thoughtless, disrespectful, inconsiderate, tactless, insensitive, uncaring or just rude to one another.If only done once, these acts are easily overlooked.But, done on a regular basis, they take their toll on a relationship and lead to intentional responses and a loss of productivity.The largest percentage of incivility flows downward with the offender being in a higher position than the target.Powerful or "important" people feel free to interrupt meetings or conversations, keep people waiting, talk in condescending tones, demean subordinates, or chastise employees when it suits them.Because it is often difficult for a person in a lower position to defend against these acts, they regularly stimulate lateral poor behavior between equals or search for an innocent subordinate to attack.In an attempt to regain a sense of self-respect and control, the most common response is for a person to strategically withhold information from peers.The additional acts of gossip and innuendo can cause severe damage to ones image or reputation. It is though people have little or no sense of what is right or wrong any longer.The following are additional acts of incivility that are directed at coworkers and customers: Avoiding someone, taking credit for other's efforts, passing blame, checking messages or texting during meetings, talking down to others, not listening, spreading rumors, not saying "please" or "thank you", showing up late or leaving early with no explanation, belittling others' efforts, blank cc'ing or forwarding others' emails to make them look bad, withholding information, making demeaning or derogatory remarks, hoarding resources or materials others' need to be successful, sending bad news through email or voicemail rather than face to face, failing to return phone calls or emails, leaving a mess for others to clean up, throwing tantrums, and cursing in the presence or at someone.I am sure you can add to the list with acts you have witnessed.Across contexts, incivility is pervasive and growing.Workers that have recently been polled state it is not unusual at all to see their coworkers being treated badly.The costs of these acts on a company are hefty.Reports show employees have lost work worrying about the incident and future interactions with the offender.Time and productivity is lost trying to avoid the offender.Employees report a weakened sense of commitment to their organizations; decreased amounts of time spent and reduced efforts at work. The receiver of regular acts of incivility will spend a great deal of time in thought about changing their job to get away from offenders and over 10% of people surveyed actually do change companies.The performance costs of incivility are difficult to report exactly since there are so many factors.We do know that targets of incivility harm their organizations in meaningful ways by purposely seeking revenge.Even if employees don't seek retribution, incivility robs motivation and ability, two elements that contribute to performance.Targets are also measurably less creative, helpful, and courteous.Incivility causes stress and burnout, leading to lower job satisfaction, poorer performance, and less commitment. Mistreated employees spread the damage by telling colleagues, customers, potential new hires, family, and friends. The two largest areas where organizations can examine costs are the large sums of money paid out due to health problems and lawsuits as a result of acts of incivility.Although we know there is a cost to employee on employee incivility, it is the poor behavior either witnessed by or directed at customers, which is the most damaging to an organization.Incivility tears apart customer relationships and erodes the bottom line.Witnessing employee-to-employee incivility is as offensive to customers as being the victims of incivility and they will take their business elsewhere, especially if they feel it is acceptable at your company.A plan needs to be put into place in order to monitor, manage and eliminate these acts.Companies need to be proactive and create a plan to eliminate poor behavior.Look in the Mirror(If you don't change, who will?)Set Zero-Tolerance Expectations(Target perfection, what can it hurt?)Don't let it in your Organization(Don't let uncivil people in the door.)Train and Teach Civility to Existing Employees (You will get what you focus on.)Train Employees and Managers to Recognize and Report IncidentsListen Carefully(Use anonymous feedback system if needed.)When Incivility Occurs, Act Immediately(Have a severe response immediately.)Take Complaints Seriously(It was important enough for someone to report.)No One is Above the Law(No excuses for powerful instigators.)Perform Exit Interviews(People leaving may share important information.)There are very few company's that are immune from incivility, but providing a forum and creating a plan to discuss and deal with the problems that arise will put you and your company on the path to a happier and healthier work environment.Always keep in mind that people list "job satisfaction" as the most important factor in their professional life.With that in mind, be civil and remember the "Golden Rule" when dealing with others.http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/bad-behavior-in-the-workplace-how-incivility-will-ruin-your-company-4400810.html
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