Workplace Incivility
Workplace Incivility
Workplace Incivility
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<strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Incivility</strong><br />
Partnership with:<br />
Safe Management Group Inc.<br />
905 849-0967<br />
www.safemanagement.org<br />
smg@safemanagement.org
What is <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Incivility</strong>?
What is <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Incivility</strong>?<br />
• Ambiguous<br />
behaviours intended<br />
to harm<br />
• Violation of<br />
workplace norms for<br />
mutual respect<br />
• Rude and<br />
discourteous<br />
• Lack of regard for<br />
others
Did you know?<br />
• 10% - 25% witness<br />
incivility daily<br />
• 66% - 99% witness<br />
incivility monthly<br />
• 20% - 50% experience<br />
incivility weekly
Being Civil Can Be Easy
Why should we care about civility?<br />
<strong>Incivility</strong><br />
• Increased stress in the workplace<br />
• Health Issues<br />
• Increased turnover rates<br />
Job Satisfaction<br />
• Lower productivity<br />
• Less time spent at work<br />
• Decreased level of loyalty to the<br />
company<br />
• Eventually quit
<strong>Incivility</strong> Continuum<br />
Negative Behaviours<br />
• Rude comments<br />
• Complaining<br />
• Insensitive actions<br />
• Gossiping/Rumors<br />
• Cultural bias<br />
• Crude jokes<br />
<strong>Workplace</strong><br />
Harassment/<br />
Bullying<br />
• Yelling<br />
• Belittling comments<br />
• Intimidation/threats<br />
• Discriminatory comments<br />
• Cursing<br />
• Humiliation<br />
• Sexual Harassment<br />
<strong>Workplace</strong> Violence<br />
• Assault/Battery<br />
• Throwing objects<br />
• Violent outbursts<br />
• Inappropriate touching<br />
• Harassment
CUPE Survey (1994)<br />
N = 2,134<br />
1975 – 1985: 84 homicides at work
Statistics Canada<br />
• Interviewed 12,000 women in 1993<br />
• 51% experienced physical or sexual<br />
attacks<br />
• 18% resulted in physical injury<br />
• Sexual Harassment fastest growing area<br />
of complaints in Ontario (Ontario Human<br />
Rights Commission)
Why be Civil?
The Cycle Begins<br />
Desire for<br />
retribution/<br />
revenge<br />
Resentment<br />
Uncivil<br />
behaviour<br />
Build up of<br />
negative<br />
emotions<br />
Feeling<br />
disrespected
Why Have We Become So Uncivil?<br />
• Over worked<br />
• <strong>Workplace</strong> stress<br />
• Increased demands<br />
– home and work<br />
• Lack of life balance!<br />
• Constant<br />
accessibility<br />
• Intolerance of<br />
others personal<br />
styles or differences
Lost work time and productivity<br />
High turnover rates<br />
Low job motivation<br />
Work avoidance<br />
Health costs – stress related<br />
<strong>Incivility</strong> to colleagues and clients<br />
• Loss of business<br />
Costs of <strong>Incivility</strong>
How to Create a Civil <strong>Workplace</strong><br />
Create Awareness<br />
Create <strong>Workplace</strong> Standards that<br />
incorporates Civility<br />
Provide Training<br />
Encourage Open Communication
Taking Assertive Action Training (TAAT)<br />
Safe Management<br />
Group<br />
Training /<br />
Consultation<br />
Agency<br />
Collaboration<br />
Increase<br />
Awareness<br />
Promote Policy<br />
Development<br />
Train Staff in<br />
Practical Skills
<strong>Workplace</strong> Violence and Harassment<br />
• “Taking Assertive Action<br />
Training” (TAAT)<br />
– Half-day program<br />
• On-line TAAT (1.5 hours)<br />
• Specialized Certification<br />
– Train-The-Trainer (1-day)
Most people do<br />
nothing when faced<br />
with workplace<br />
incivility.<br />
Because they are<br />
afraid or don’t<br />
know what to do.
Taking Assertive Action<br />
Is about learning how to take “assertive<br />
action” against workplace incivility,<br />
harassment, and aggression, to:<br />
Prevent<br />
Manage
TAAT Course Organization<br />
• Managing Stress & Anxiety<br />
• Managing Anger<br />
• Assertively & Expressively Communicating<br />
• Listening to Others<br />
• Problem Solving Together<br />
• Making an Effective Complaint<br />
• Manager’s Strategies for supporting conflict<br />
resolution
Communication Styles
3 Types of Communication<br />
Passive<br />
Aggressive<br />
Assertive<br />
• Shy, quiet<br />
• Indirect<br />
• Put other’s needs first<br />
• Loud, demanding<br />
• Argumentative<br />
• Put other’s needs last<br />
• Standing up for personal rights<br />
• Expressing thoughts, feelings,<br />
beliefs directly and honestly
Barriers to Assertiveness<br />
• Anxiety about negative consequences<br />
• Confusing “assertiveness” with<br />
“aggressiveness”<br />
• Thinking “passive” means being “polite”<br />
• Failing to recognize that one’s rights<br />
matter
Anxiety<br />
• Fear of negative consequences<br />
• Mind-Reading<br />
• Fortune-Telling<br />
• Usually the consequences are not as negative as<br />
one expects<br />
• Need to follow Stress Management strategies
Effective expressive<br />
communication<br />
is a skill that can be learned.
Two Sets of Skills
Verbal Assertiveness
Verbal Assertiveness<br />
Describe Facts<br />
Express<br />
Feelings<br />
Identify Wants<br />
State<br />
Consequences<br />
• Pinpoint problem objectively<br />
• Specifically<br />
• Feelings<br />
• Wants<br />
• Consequences, if want fulfilled
Example 1: Office Gossip<br />
Describe Facts<br />
Express<br />
Feelings<br />
Identify Wants<br />
State<br />
Consequences<br />
• “I’ve seen you talking to co-workers secretly,<br />
staring back at my desk”<br />
• “That makes me feel very uncomfortable and<br />
hurt, I feel like you and others are talking<br />
about me”<br />
• “I would appreciate it if you would not talk<br />
about me to others, and if there is something I<br />
did, please speak to me directly”<br />
• “Then, I wouldn’t feel so uncomfortable being<br />
around the team and I would be able to carry<br />
on a more effective conversation”
Example 2: Silent Treatment<br />
Describe Facts<br />
Express<br />
Feelings<br />
Identify Wants<br />
State<br />
Consequences<br />
• “I’ve noticed that you don’t answer my questions<br />
at work and you walk away from me”<br />
• “That makes me think that you are purposefully<br />
avoiding me because you may be angry at me and<br />
I feel confused and concerned”<br />
• “I would appreciate it if we could talk about what<br />
you may be feeling and try to work it out”<br />
• “Then, I think we could find some solutions to<br />
whatever may be bothering you, and then work<br />
better together”
Keep Going
Listening
Escalating Argument<br />
Attack<br />
Defend<br />
Counter-<br />
Attack
Listening to Open Communication<br />
Co-worker will be upset and<br />
defensive<br />
• Counter-attack to make your point<br />
stronger<br />
• Ineffective, causes verbal escalation<br />
Listening will:<br />
• reduce the anger<br />
• open the other person up
Listening to an attacker<br />
is difficult!
It usually ends up like this
Listening is a skill<br />
that can be learned
“Passive” Listening<br />
Does not communicate understanding or<br />
wanting to know the other’s point of view.
“Active” Listening<br />
• Interest in the other’s point of view<br />
• Even if you disagree
Active Listening<br />
Not judging the other<br />
Attend<br />
Paraphrase<br />
Encourage
Attend<br />
Active Listening<br />
• Look, Listen<br />
Paraphrase<br />
• “What I hear you say is…….”<br />
Encourage<br />
• To talk more, “Tell me more”
Challenges to Listening<br />
• Reacting from your point of<br />
view<br />
• Providing solutions too early<br />
• Redirecting from emotion<br />
• Difficult to do because of<br />
anxiety
Assertion as Collaboration<br />
• Identifying a problem<br />
should lead to<br />
problem solving together<br />
• Be prepared to actively<br />
listen<br />
• Brainstorm
How Do We Avoid This?
Manager Assisted PST
Create<br />
Awareness<br />
Healthy <strong>Workplace</strong><br />
Facilitate Open<br />
Communication<br />
Teach Listening<br />
Skills
Problem Solving Together
Happy<br />
Employees<br />
Decreased $$<br />
lost<br />
Why Bother?<br />
Civility<br />
Productivity<br />
Improved quality<br />
of service
Remind Yourself of Your<br />
Rights
How are You Going to Create a Civil<br />
<strong>Workplace</strong>
Questions?
Thank You!<br />
Training and Consultation Services<br />
Creating and Maintaining Safe Environments<br />
Tel: 905 849-0967<br />
Email: smg@safemanagement.org<br />
www.safemanagement.org
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