Workplace rudeness: Is it costing your business>

Have you ever experienced bullying in the office, avoiding a coworker because of a discourteous behavior or worse a boss who chews you or a co-worker out on a regular basis? Then perhaps we could relegate this to desk rage?

These are just some all too familiar workplace situations that it may run the gamut of discourteous taunting, yelling, name-calling and abusive behavior. The end result, as we know it, is low morale and bad performance whether it’s deliberate or not. It dampens the spirit of enthusiasm and one is more worried about not making a mistake than concentrating on the task at hand. Amir Erez, a psychologist at the University of Florida’s school of management, has found that rudeness directed at a person can cause a “wildfire” in the office. “Managers should be very concerned because the negative consequences of rudeness on the job are not limited to the person who happens to be the victim,” he said. “If five other people are watching, the effects are going to spill over into the rest of the organization.”

In a study done by psychologist Lilia M. Cortina, University of Michigan, Ann Harbor found that 71% of workers surveyed have been insulted, demeaned, ignored, or otherwise treated discourteously by their co-workers and superiors. Employees who experience uncivil treatment report lower job satisfaction and are more likely to withdraw from their jobs by being tardy repeatedly, taking unnecessary sick days, or simply not working very hard. Has civility really become obsolete that we have to come up with new terms just to bring attention to the trend?

Workplace civility can be widely termed as disrespectful and inconsiderate of others and it includes actions such as addressing others in a demeaning or condescending manner, taking all the credit for group work, failing to listen to others and emotional outbreaks. President Obama on his speech recently lamented on “the erosion of civility” and renewed his call for lawmakers to seek common ground. This is a universal cry to suggest that we do need to have decency in place again whether it is in our homes, our workplace and in how we deal with each other in society.

So what is civility? Civility is all about kindness, consideration, sensitivity, caring, giving and nurturing. It is a code of conduct based on the principles of the 3R’s: respect, restraint, responsibility and specific rules of conduct that can be applied to everyday living. Together, the three “R” principles and rules of conduct that guide our behavior towards one another are the essence of civility as defined by Professor P.M. Forni in his book Choosing Civility – The 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct (St. Martin’s Griffin, New York, 2002).

Dr. P.M. Forni, is a professor at Johns Hopkins University, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project in 1997, and a recepient of AICI’s highest industry accolade, the IMMIE Bravo Award.*

The 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct

1. Pay attention
2. Acknowledge others
3. Think the best
4. Listen
5. Be inclusive
6. Speak kindly
7. Don’t speak ill
8. Accept and give praise
9. Respect even a subtle “No”
10. Respect other’s opinions
11. MInd your body
12. Be agreeable
13. Keep it down (Rediscover silence)
14. Respect other people’s time
15. Respect other people’s space
16. Apologize earnestly
17. Assert yourself
18. Avoid personal questions
19. Care for your guests
20. Be a considerate guest
21. Think twice before asking favors
22. Refrain from idle complaints
23. Accept and give constructive criticism
24. Respect the environment and be gentle to animals
25. Don’t shift responsibility and blame

The origins of the word civility lie in its connection to Civitas, a Latin word meaning city, and the french word “civilite: which is most typically translated to mean politeness. Civility also shares a connection with the word civilization. The root meaning of this word which is “member of household”, suggests that acting with civility means recognizing that one is part of a society (company, organization or a household) and that if we are to be of moral character, our behavior must be guided accordingly by rules and standards of conduct. This is irrespective of whether we like or agree with the persons to whom we are relating. Such behavior often involves personal sacrifice exercised throgh self-restraint.

Civility is important in today’s contemporary world, a world that is ruled by informality, technology and lack of deep sense of values. It is important in promoting peace and stimulates opportunities for human growth and development and is the basis of civilized interaction. Workplace civility therefore is imperative for communication, dialogue and peaceful co-existence. There is hope in the sense that organizations can take specific steps to maintain civility and courtesy in their work cultures by first realizing that rudeness does exist. Failure to recognize can lead to millions of losses for the companies. Superiors and managers should help build and reinforce a climate of respect for others, a basic solid foundation of civility. The campaign should be communicated during employee training programs, be included in employee handbook, be part of the corporate values and behavors are imitated when they see it modeled throughout the company.

There is near overwhelming agreement that civility, while on the decline globally, is important for promoting peaceful co-existence and stimulating human growth and development based on respectful, responsible behavior. Research studies conclude that the impact of incivility in the workplace undermines productivity, public trust, affects consumer choice and ultimately profits. With education, training and heightened awareness, everyone can learn or be sensitized to take even small steps to embrace civility in their lives that would improve human interactions in personal and business settings. Certified image consultant can provide expertise in etiquette, civility, protocol, image and brand management to help address this need. Businesses, organizations and individuals must first be aware of the need for and be prepared to embrace the change that can create more civility in the world. –Olen Juarez-Lim, VP Communications, Association of Image Consultants International, South Asia Singapore Chapter