Today is election day in the United States. Americans regret incivility in our politics and believe that politics is a top driver of incivility at work.
More than half (58 percent) of US workers believe our society is uncivil. It is up to us as executives, managers, and employees to make a change.
Several recent polls uncover our concern with incivility.
According to research recently released by the Society of Human Research (SHRM), 78 percent of US workers face poor treatment at work because of their political views. Yet only eight percent of companies say they have policies to address incivility.
Another poll conducted in late May of 2024 by Emerson College and the Common Good found that 69 percent of Americans believe that the government is so divided that it is no longer serving the best interests of Americans. Three-quarters of those polled also said most politicians today promote and encourage national division out of political self-interest.
Components of civility and respectful work include the following:
- Listening to understand others without interrupting
- Not disparaging others based on their dress, appearance, or beliefs
- Communicating critical feedback respectfully
- Openly considering the knowledge and experience of others
- Asking difficult questions to get to the best solutions and never being demeaning
- Not acting in ways that can be perceived as threatening, intolerant, or discriminatory
It is time for a change. Business executives must demand civility from our politicians and insist that every worker treat others with civility.
Civility is important in the workplace because it is part of building a collaborative and learning organization that is critical for improving innovation and profitable growth and having employees who are dedicated to the organization’s mission, strategies, and customers. Dedicated employees who have meaning in their work, see opportunities for career growth, and have a plan for career growth with their leaders are less likely to leave the organization. Learn more here.
At InnovationOne, we have found that organizations with teams that treat each other with mutual respect and have leaders who build openness and trust have better financial results than those with toxic work cultures. The organizations scoring in the top quartile of our InnovationOne Culture Index© can have up to 22 percent higher financial performance than those scoring in the lowest quartile.
When organizations allow political bickering in the workplace, it deters from the collaborative team environment and lowers productivity and innovation.
Companies can insist on civility in the workplace. Here is how to do it:
- It begins with each executive and member of management modeling civil behavior and treating employees with mutual respect and trust. Learn more here.
- Organizations need to set clear norms for civil behavior, mutual respect, and intellectual curiosity and not tolerate political arguments, name calling, impoliteness, bullying, and excluding members of a group due to their political beliefs. Learn more here.
- Team leaders need to discuss civil behavior with their teams and set standards for civil behavior.
- First Amendment free speech is not a right in the workplace as it is in public. While open discourse about daily events may at times stray into harmless political discussions, uncivility, harassing behavior, and bullying should not be tolerated.
- Employees who are repeatedly uncivil should be put on performance management plans.
- Recognize good behavior. Learn more here.
Americans no longer need to tolerate incivility in our politics or in the workplace. We should insist on better behavior. But we need to lead the change.
About Victor
Victor Assad is the CEO of Victor Assad Strategic Human Resources Consulting and Managing Partner of InnovationOne, LLC. He works with organizations to transform HR and recruiting, implement remote work, and develop extraordinary leaders, teams, and innovation cultures. He is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Hack Recruiting: The Best of Empirical Research, Method and Process, and Digitization. He is quoted in business journals such as The Wall Street Journal, Workforce Management, and CEO Magazine. Victor has partnered with The Conference Board on innovation research. Subscribe to his weekly blogs at http://www.VictorHRConsultant.com