Incivility in the Workplace

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Do you know what cyber incivility is? Cyber incivility can be a contributing factor to this epidemic of incivility that we are experiencing. 

Cyber incivility is uncivil behavior in emails, texts, and social media communications. It is so easy to send something out that feels abrupt or unkind because you don’t have tone or volume to help communicate your message. Communicating electronically is inherently impersonal, and that’s why we have to go the extra mile to make sure our messages are presented in respectful and courteous ways. 

A good idea is to re-read everything you’re sending electronically before you hit that send button; put yourself in the reader’s shoes and make sure you’ve included words of courtesy, words of appreciation, and words that show you care about that person. I know that I can be so focused on getting the message out that I forget there is a person on the other end who needs to be recognized as a person and a few courteous words can make a world of difference. 

Then there are the acts of incivility which can seem “victimless,” but are still rude behavior that contributes to the overall incivility of the workplace. For example, not refilling the office coffee machine or printer, or tossing trash next to the trash can without picking it up are examples of victimless incivility. It does not have an immediate impact on another person, but it violates norms for courtesy, nonetheless. 

So, what do you say? Can we as Christ-followers in a world of incivility make a difference by just showing the love of Jesus and his compassion to the people in our world? We absolutely can, and these simple suggestions I’ve given you this week are so easy to do, don’t cost a thing, and can truly go a long way toward stemming the tide of incivility where you work. 

Here’s a verse that will help you in this challenge, from Romans 14:19. I encourage you to pray it into your life: 

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.