Civility Among Coworkers

In a study by Georgetown University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management, 96% of nearly 3,000 participants say they have experienced uncivil behavior in the workplace.  Now organizations from Dish Satellite Corp to the NSA are following a lead set by companies like the employee-friendly Southwest Airlines, and implementing programs to improve civility among co-workers.

Warm and fuzzy time wasting?  Not at all. Cisco Systems estimated the cost of employee incivility at $8.3 million annually and took action to counter the weakened commitment that resulted.

At the top of Georgetown U Professor Christine Porath’s recommendations:  Never criticize people behind their backs.

We agree.  For decades we have shared with our audiences that if your frustration is great enough to vent to a third party, it’s important to discuss your issue face-to-face with the person concerned.

We want to hear from you:  If someone comes to you with a gripe or complaint about someone else, what do you do?  Do you get involved or send the individual back to the source of his or her concern? Do you ever enlist someone as your “sounding board” instead of going to the source of your concern?  To join the conversation, click "comments" below.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.

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