MAINTAINING WORKPLACE CIVILITY WHILE DEALING WITH BULLYING

Transcription

1 MAINTAINING WORKPLACE CIVILITY WHILE DEALING WITH BULLYING

2 WHAT IS CIVILITY? Civility is an essential behavior of all employees in all organizations. These are the interpersonal rules of engagement for how we relate to each other, our customers, and our stakeholders; the fundamentals of courtesy, politeness, and consideration.

3 R E S P E C T

4 RESPECT Respect connects us at a personal level. It reflects an attitude developed from deep listening and understanding, cultural and personal sensitivity, and compassion. It honors all the participants in an interaction by creating a safe place to have difficult conversations and leads to an environment of honesty and mutual trust.

5 ENGAGEMENT Engagement is the result of respectful relationships within an atmosphere of trust

6 INCIVILITY The gateway drug to workplace harassment!

7 CREATING A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE Develop a respectful workplace policy Create a specific respectful workplace policy as part of your Code of Conduct, or incorporate one into your anti-bullying, cyberbullying and retaliation policies. Set the expectation that you do not condone any form of harassment or disrespectful conduct, and all employees regardless of title or seniority are responsible for treating individuals with respect, courtesy and fairness.

8 CREATING A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE Provide examples of good and bad conduct The words and actions employees and managers choose in their daily interactions reflect how well they understand workplace civility and respect. In your communication, policies and civility training, be sure to include examples of both conduct that is appropriate, and behavior both verbal and physical that constitutes unlawful harassment.

9 CREATING A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE Implement procedures for reporting harassment Encourage employees to intervene or report incidents of harassment, bullying or other offensive behavior. And provide them with reporting options, such as an ethics hotline to call, an address to contact or the name of the manager with whom to discuss the incident in person.

10 CREATING A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE Hold everyone accountable It s everyone s responsibility to abide by your code of conduct and respectful workplace policy. Make it clear that individuals who do not are subject to discipline up to and including termination.

11 CREATING A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE Revisit your training If your code of conduct training isn t adequately addressing what employees should know and do to maintain a respectful workplace, it s time to revise and revup. Effective training should be focused on behavior, with examples that reflect your specific culture and industry.

12 CREATING A RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE Left unchecked, toxic workplaces can lead to charges of illegal harassment and a host of negative effects that follow. As the EEOC ramps up its emphasis on cultivating a respectful workplace, consider what changes you can make in your organization s culture, policies and civility training in order to promote and cultivate a healthy, positive working environment.

13 MAINTAINING CIVILITY Building Respect When hiring, look for respectful job candidates. According to a survey on workplace civility, 90 percent of respondents considered hiring people with positive interpersonal skills helpful in maintaining workplace respect. Also, as a manager, be the example of respect that you want employees to emulate. Lead by managing your emotions and actions, avoiding gossip spreading, considering the impact of your behavior and focusing on solutions rather than blame.

14 MAINTAINING CIVILITY Communicating Respect Listening to employees concerns shows them that you care about them. Managers can see better employee productivity when they understand employees strengths and limitations. People can become resentful and disloyal when they believe that their work is taken for granted or their efforts are misunderstood. Additionally, explain the process by which any major decision is made so that affected employees know they can trust you to keep them aware. Such transparency and openness can strengthen respect between employees and managers.

15 MAINTAINING CIVILITY Enforcing Respect Write clear policies and procedures by which to govern a safe and healthy workplace, including methods by which incidents are handled. Communicate these policies to employees in order to assure them that they can count on the company to quickly resolve problems. Workers can trust the company more if enforcement and consequences regarding the standards of behavior apply to everyone within the organization.

16 MAINTAINING CIVILITY Giving Respect As a manager or team leader, handling an employee s mistake privately with an employee, rather than dramatically in front of others, develops interpersonal respect. Private constructive criticism and guidance is better at motivating an employee to improve his performance than using public admonishment. Conversely, rewarding employees exceptional work publicly can build employee respect and loyalty. Employees come to know that the company recognizes and appreciates their good results.

17 MAINTAINING CIVILITY Respectful relationships on the job can lead to a loyal workforce, and can lead to satisfied customers and long-term company growth. A 2017 study by public relations firm, found that 53 percent of employees think the workplace has become more uncivil and disrespectful over the last few years. About 65 percent of employees blame this problem on their workplace leaders.

18 FACT OR FICTION?

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20 Bullies are scary, shocking, embarrassing and far too often tolerated in the workplace. Why?

21 ANSWER Because we don t want to have to deal with them, we don t want the attack, the conflict, the discomfort. So we either pretend they aren t wreaking havoc or we grit our teeth and tolerate them.

22 It s time to stop!

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24 MAINTAING WORKPLACE CIVILITY WHILE DEALING WITH BULLYING 1. Before acting, consider the impact of your words and actions on others. 2. Create an inclusive work environment. Only by recognizing and respecting individual differences and qualities can your organization fully realize its potential. 3. Self-monitor the respect that you display in all areas of your communications, including verbal, body language, and listening. 4. Understand your triggers or hot buttons. Knowing what makes you angry and frustrated enables you to manage your reactions and respond in a more appropriate manner.

25 MAINTAING WORKPLACE CIVILITY WHILE DEALING WITH BULLYING 5. Take responsibility for your actions and practice self-restraint and anger management skills in responding to potential conflicts. 6. Adopt a positive and solution-driven approach in resolving conflicts. 7. Rely on facts rather than assumptions. Gather relevant facts, especially before acting on assumptions that can damage relationships. 8. Include others in your focus by considering their needs and avoiding the perception that you view yourself as the center of the universe.

26 MAINTAING WORKPLACE CIVILITY WHILE DEALING WITH BULLYING 9. View today s difficult situations from a broader (big picture) and more realistic perspective by considering what they mean in the overall scheme of things. 10. "Each one influence one by becoming a bridge builder and role model for civility and respect. Act in a manner whereby you respect yourself, demonstrate respect for others, and take advantage of every opportunity to be proactive in promoting civility and respect in your workplace.

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