Does Your Workplace Pass the Civility Test?

You may have heard the latest workplace buzzword, “civility” and wondered how it applies to your workplace. The focus on civility is gaining traction in workplaces throughout all industries. Perhaps it stems from new generations entering the workforce and the fact that workspaces are more diverse than ever. With the popularity of social media outlets running non-stop reels about questionable behavior, and the upcoming election sure to make temperatures rise, let’s review this topic in the event that it spreads to your workplace.

Civility Defined

A good starting point to understand civility is to define what uncivil behavior is. Uncivil behavior can show up in many ways such as interrupting someone, silencing or excluding others, aggressive or absentee management styles, and even bullying. The impact of uncivil behavior is a costly one, both in terms of morale and money. According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) President, Johnny C. Taylor, “Being civil in the workplace is not just about being polite. It’s a strategic business imperative.”

You may already have a code of conduct that addresses professionalism and a policy for discipline, but civility in the workplace aims to address those issues that often go under the radar. Passive aggressive comments, subtle disrespect, and exclusion are some issues that management find difficult to fit within a policy violation and therefore, they often fail to timely address it.

There is a plan in place for those who are outwardly violating the rules, but uncivil behavior can go unaddressed, leading to overall job dissatisfaction. An employee may seem content and not raise any concerns, appearing satisfied on the surface, but still face challenges and be unhappy. When employees do not feel safe speaking up, or if they are not being supervised adequately, or if they work in a toxic space, resentment can begin to build. When we see decreased productivity, increased turnover, and strained working relationships, that is a sign of a dysfunctional workforce. When morale is low and employees become disengaged this can also escalate into attendance problems, and undermine the company’s goals and objectives.

What If Your Workplace Has Some Warning Signs?

If you are a leader or manager and realize your workplace has elements of uncivility, what should you do about it? Old school thinking would tell you to remove these “toxic” employees from your workforce, but civility in the workplace instead places the responsibility on the employer to cultivate a better work culture.

Instead of seeing employees as expendable, you should first address the root causes of disengagement, such as poor communication, failure to embrace inclusivity, lack of getting to know your employees, and/or unfair treatment.

Discuss your current workplace culture with your employees and leadership team. Do you need a climate study or temperature check to help? If you already know your company doesn’t pass the civility test, take a look at your current approach and proactively engage employees and become more team oriented, inclusive, and compassionate by learning more about yourself and your team.

When is the last time you had team trainings or team building meetings? As a CEA member, you have access to our entire training department with a library of courses to improve team communication and morale. Check out Don’t Fire Them, Inspire Them or Creating Culture of Professionalism, Civility, and Respect in the Workplace among others. Do you have leaders who are eager for more professional development? CEA has Coaching Services for leaders who would benefit from one-on-one engagement. Reach out to CEA today to discuss new ways to take care of your biggest asset, your employees.