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How Rude!

A boss who throws a chair across the room in a rage. A person who talks down to another employee they view to be in a lower position. People who steal other people's food from a community refrigerator. All three have something in common - they're instances of incivility that employees have experienced at Ohio State.

There are more examples, of course, and that keeps Beth Flynn, a member of Ohio State's Leadership Center, busy delivering presentations around campus on what it means to be civil and why it's important. There are a couple of different opinions on why civility has become such an issue," Flynn said. "One is that we have become very self-centered and have forgotten about how to be nice to others. Another theory is that the busier you are demonstrates your importance, like stress has become a status symbol: 'I'm so busy that I don't have time to be nice.' We use our busy lives as an excuse for our bad behavior."

The fixes can often be simple. Listen to others instead of talking over their comments and look at them while they're speaking to you. Respect others' personal space both vocally and physically, especially in a cubicle setting. Avoid gossiping or spreading rumors. Answer phone messages and e-mails in a timely manner.

The list of proper etiquette is a lengthy one. But the ramifications of ignoring it in the workplace will only foment or create a culture of incivility that has real costs to productivity, loyalty and staffing. "Do you know how many employees believe that lack of courtesy and respect is a serious problem?" Flynn asked an OSU group to which she was presenting. "Eighty percent." Some head nodding could be seen and a couple "reallys?" heard.

"What about the percentage of employees contemplating leaving their organization because of incivility, can anybody guess?" Flynn continued. "Forty-five percent." Gasps and "wows" were the response.

But Flynn, who drew her statistics from "On the Nature, Consequences and Remedies of Workplace Incivility: No Time for 'Nice?' Think Again," in the 2005 Academy of Management Executive, wasn't done: 65 percent of employees reported suffering reduced work performance because of strained relationships with an employer or coworker.

And according to Jon Gordon, best-selling author and Fortune 500 leadership consultant, negativity at work costs organizations $300 billion a year, Flynn said. A surprising statistic: A Southern New Hampshire University study found 50 percent of people have the urge to be uncivil at work.

Incivility is a problem that is almost impossible to head off in the interview process, before a disruptive employee is hired, although some companies have found unique ways to garner more personal insight.

"We all can behave appropriately for a short time," Flynn said. "The more situations that you can observe a potential candidate will allow you to determine how he or she will act in different situations. Many companies interview during meals to determine if you have the etiquette and personal skills to be a good representative of their organization." 

If unsure what to do about any negative action witnessed or experienced, employees should contact their unit HR professional, OHR (292-1050) or OHRC (292-2800) and talk it through with a qualified staff person. Additionally, the University Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (292-4472) is another resource to help employees deal with incivility situations at work.

"How can you increase civility?" Flynn asked rhetorically. "By taking small steps - one thought, one belief, one action, one choice at a time. The way you treat others causes a ripple effect in the organization, and whether the effect is positive or negative is up to you."

Beth Flynn, a member of the OSU Leadership Center, listed her top five ways everyone should strive to be civil at work:
• Take an interest in your co-workers. It is worth the time you take to build relationships with your co-workers.
• Be accountable for the work you do and for your behavior.
• Say please, thank you and give compliments when they are deserved.
• Always return phone calls and e-mail messages.
• Keep a good attitude about life - you can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react. If you have a positive attitude, you will be nicer to people, and it is contagious.

By: Adam King, Associate Editor of onCampus, The Ohio State University Faculty and Staff Newspaper.  This article was originally published in the April 22, 2009 issue of onCampus. 

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Created: 2009-05-12, Updated: 2009-11-16