How many of you have worked alongside an uncivil or rude coworker?

How did those experiences affect...• You• Your work• Your health• Your family• Your desire to get revenge

Let’s take a look at an example...

Incivility Behaviors

Low level rude behaviors• Talking down to others• Not listening• Talking over or interrupting others• Withholding information• Showing little interest in others’ opinions• Making demeaning or derogatory remarks

Do you see yourself in any of these behaviors?

But, do people intendto be rude or uncivil at work?

Incivility – Who Cares?

96% Experienced it 99% Witnessed it

Consequences?

48% inten-tionally de-crease work effort / time

38% inten-tionally de-crease work

quality

80% lost time worrying over

incident

63% lost time avoiding the of-

fender

78% said com-mitment to orga-nization declined

Performance Costs?

20% decline in concentration at

work

65-75% drop in helpfulness

33% decline in verbal

tasks

25-49% drop in helpful-

ness

Incivility Targets Incivility Observers

Toxic Environments

30% less likely to feel vital and en-

ergetic

36% less satisfied with their jobs

Uncivil workplaces

30% less likely to feel mo-tivated to learn new skillsLess inclined to:

• act in the company’s best interests• take steps to prevent problems• attend company functions• keep up with company developments

HR Costs

Managers and executives of the Fortune 1000 firms spend about 13% of their total work time – seven full weeks per year – dealing with effects of incivility

In 2007 Cisco Systems Inc. estimated the cost of incivility in its organization at $8.3M annually

Ripple Effect of Incivility

Workplace Incivility Marital Dissatisfaction

Stress transmittedto family

Revenge is (not so) sweet

94% of targets get even with their of-

fender

88% of targets get even with their

organization

How?

75% have stolen from their em-

ployer once

37% have stolen from their em-ployer twice

in employee theft annually in the U.S.

$200,000,000,000

Turnover Costs

20% of observers leave• Low level departures

30-50% of salary - $

• Mid-level managers

150% of salary - $$

• High level employees

can top 400% of salary - $$

$

25% of targets leave

Spiral &Escalation• Incivility, though often unintentional, is

harmful• Having an abusive supervisor (or coworker?)

is even worse!– Intentional– Hostile– “Strategically used” by some supervisors

• Sets the tone for the organization or group culture

• “This is how we treat each other”

Abusive Supervisors

• How many of you have had or know of someone else who has had an abusive supervisor or manager?

• Think about what kind of impact those experiences had on your life at work...or your life OUTSIDE of work.

What does an Abusive Supervisor Do?

Sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors

• Tells subordinates that their thoughts or feelings are stupid

• Silent treatment• Puts subordinates down in front of others• Blames subordinates to save himself / herself

embarrassment• Breaks promises he / she makes• Expresses anger at subordinates when he / she is mad

for another reason

Self Assessment

When was the last time...

• You said “Thank you”• You said “I’m sorry”• A subordinate or coworker brought you ‘bad news’ • A subordinate quit...or multiple subordinates quit?

(Employees don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses!)

Who Cares?13.6% of US

workers experi-ence it

90% of nurses experience it

Estimated to costannually

$23,800,000,000

Consequences

• Trickles down two levels from abusive manager…and over to the subordinate’s family

• Diminished subordinate creativity, self-esteem• Increased subordinate emotional exhaustion,

depression, insomnia

• Subordinates less likely to ‘go above and beyond’

Ripple Effect of Abuse

Abusive Supervision Relationship Tension& Family Functioning

Work to FamilyConflict

An Ounce of Prevention

Keep uncivil people out of your organization!

• Vendors, contractors, customers, employees

• Selectivity in recruitment / selection

Teach civility through building competencies

• Listening• Conflict resolution• Negotiation• Dealing with difficult people• Stress management

What’s an Organization to do?

Set Zero-Tolerance Expectations

• Shapes behavior• Sets a norm• Start with your mission or values statement

What’s an Organization to do?

Have Managers Look in the Mirror

• Strive to live by the norms set• Less likely to hear negative information as we climb

the ladder• Upward evaluations or 360-degree feedback

(anonymously collected)

What’s an Organization to do?

Take complaints seriously

• Open door policy

• Gather data quickly• Get the facts• Act swiftly

What’s an Organization to do?

Don’t make excuses for powerful instigators or high performers

• Don’t move the offender to a new location!• Incivility is like a virus, it’s contagious...and can spread

easily

Unique Approaches

Department devoted to sending notes of support when a family member is ill or congratulations when a baby is born

10/5 Rule

• Making eye contact with anyone within 10 feet• Greeting anyone within 5 feet• “No venting rule” – retreat to a ‘safe zone’ (like a private

nursing manager’s office) to express frustration• Employee evaluations take into account whether these

procedures are being followed!

questions?

thank you