I Warn You: Incivility Could Cost You Your Business

GUEST EXPERT. Have you ever hesitated to intervene to stop the unpleasant behavior of your best salesperson for fear that he would leave you? Have you allowed misconduct to go unnoticed, tolerated unpleasant behavior or made harsh remarks?

This evidence of incivility is damaging your organization, and it is far from having taken a vacation.

I do, I reassure you! And I took the opportunity to view some favorite conference titles and presentations among my network. I was also recommended le TED Talk de la professeure à la Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Christine Porath on the benefits of acting with civility. My summer favorite! It is my turn to highly recommend it to you. Note that the video is in English, but you can read the transcript or enable French subtitles.

Professor, researcher, speaker and author of several books, Christine Porath clearly explains in this fifteen-minute presentation what incivility is and the havoc it causes in the workplace, with supporting research results. . The expert also focuses her research on the effects of incivility on people.

I warn you: incivility could cost you your business. This statement may seem strong, but it is true. Incivility costs an organization dearly.

The days of tolerance are over, and now is the time to act.

Uncivilized?

If the term is not familiar to you, know that incivility is nothing more and nothing less than contempt, rudeness or lack of respect.

Incivility covers a range of different behaviors from mockery and mean teasing to bad jokes and texting in meetings.

Remember that what may seem innocuous to you may be considered uncivil by your neighbor or by society in general.

What are the effects of incivility?

Incivility has devastating consequences on the motivation of troops, as well as on performance and productivity at work, according to the results of a study that Christine Porath reports in her conference.

In the presence of incivility, a study by Professor Porath reveals that:

• 66% of people reduce their efforts

• 80% waste time worrying about what happened – that’s a lot of time discussing or ruminating rather than working

• 12% leave their job!

What if I’m just a witness?

Surprisingly, still according to Christine Porath’s studies, being a witness produces no less effects than if you are the person experiencing the incivility.

Seeing or hearing a colleague being belittled or insulted affects us just as much, also undermining our performance and our motivation.

I really like the image she uses: incivility is a virus.

I agree, because incivility is contagious and we become carriers of it just by being close. It spreads when it is tolerated and no one acts in its presence. It wreaks havoc just by seeing it or reading it.

Being kind pays off

Studies on the subject have shown that being kind allows people to progress and any organization to remain efficient and healthy. Acting in a civil manner is unifying and motivating. Not only do you have a better chance of having a high-performance team, but you ensure that you maintain a healthy and respectful work climate. In the end, everyone wins.

Invest in the well-being of your organization and watch Professor Christine Porath’s videos on civility. Or better yet, make it a team viewing, with popcorn to boot!