The pandemic has placed extraordinary pressures on our health and social care systems; these are challenging times for staff personally and professionally. Have you noticed the recent focus on wellbeing for the workforce? This is a good time to remember the basics: civility.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the workforce both professionally and personally, the NHS and local authorities are investing in wellbeing initiatives. The range of support includes, for example, coaching, peer support groups, resilience training, greater investment in occupational health support and many others. This is all in an effort to manage the effects of relentless ever-changing demands and stress on our most valued asset – staff. Whilst broadly appreciated, responses are mixed, with some staff feeling that they don’t have the capacity to accept the support – there is no bandwidth. There is something basic that we can all do; it won’t change the demands but will make our experience of it, and our colleagues, easier. Civility is…’formal politeness or courtesy in behaviour or speech’. In the context of the workplace, have we forgotten about the basics in the workplace? So what is incivility?
Incivility can be defined as rude or unsociable speech or behavior that shows a lack of regard for others. Unsurprisingly, incivility is on the increase and can creep up almost unconsciously in our behaviours. A study found that incivility is often prompted by thoughtlessness or lack of consideration rather than actual malice, though that is not always the case.
One interesting report cites examples of incivility as including: ‘rampant passive aggressive behaviour, sarcastic emails – often copying colleagues in to spread the joy, belittling, insults, bullying, office whispering, humiliation…Any behaviour where you are treated rudely or without dignity at work’.
It is human nature to be frustrated when things do not go according to plan and right now we are all experiencing things going awry and feeling outside our control. In all this, it is important to maintain personal and professional standards.
We All Pay for Incivility
It can impact on individual performance, productivity as distracted staff on the receiving end spend time worrying about the incident(s). Managing the consequences of incivility is a drain on resources, keeping HR leads very busy with efforts to mend relationships. It contributes to absenteeism, work related stress and/or burnout and impacts negatively on wellbeing. Civility is a critical contributory factor towards having happy, motivated, high performing individuals and teams and we all have a role to play in creating a culture of civility.
How to Promote Civility in the Workplace?
- Manage Yourself – Managers and leaders set the tone so it is important to be aware of your actions and how youmight be perceived by others.
- Model Good Behaviour – Bad behaviours are contagious; if successful managers and leaders are rude, staff will follow. In one survey, 25% of managers who acknowledged their behaviour said they were uncivil because their leaders—their own role models—were also rude.
- Speak Out – Challenge and Encourage Others – When you spot uncivil behaviour, don’t turn a blind eye; challenge it courteously and firmly. Remember also to champion and celebrate the good behaviours.
I am reminded of my former CEO who impressed on the leadership team the importance of behaviours. It is not simply the what, but the how. How did you achieve those results, how did you make people feel? In the drive to perform – whether it is supporting the vaccination effort, ensuring children are safeguarded or keeping our streets clean – we must not forget how we make people feel.
There is nothing innovative or progressive suggested in this blog; it won’t require a rewrite of the OD Strategy, it costs absolutely nothing and training is not (usually) required. Civility is a basic skill that makes a real difference to how we experience the workplace. So now, especially as we are stressed, let’s focus on getting the basics right.