Incivility in the Workplace

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Incivility is out of control! A recent study reports that 70% of U.S. adults say incivility is at a crisis level. Is that true where you work—or where you live?   

You see signs of it every time you watch the news or spend any time in social media mode. It seems we’ve allowed this lack of civility to creep into our culture until it has somehow become the new normal—as acceptable behavior. 

Doesn’t this give us Christ-followers a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the difference that Jesus makes in our lives? This opens the door for us to be lights in a dark world, and that is what Jesus has called us to.   

First, let’s define incivility. The textbook definition is “rude or unsociable speech or behavior.” Incivility in the workplace can be perhaps more subtle, of lower intensity, maybe not even recognizable at first. But it shows up as lack of courtesy, abandoning simple polite behaviors and practices, using sarcastic remarks, rude and abrupt responses. And often the people engaging in uncivil behavior don’t intend harm, it’s just become a bad habit.   

I think it’s time we fight back, don’t you? I have some simple suggestions that you can do to stem the tide of incivility in your world—your work world, your home world, wherever.   

Here’s my first suggestion:  Make sure you say please and thank you at every possible opportunity.  Something as simple as that can make a difference, and if those words of courtesy have been lost in your world, reintroduce them! Say them to your family members—often we neglect courtesy in our homes.  Find opportunities to thank people and don’t be afraid of over-doing it.   

I challenge you to keep a count of the number of times you say please or thank you in a given day and determine to increase that number each day. Don’t discount the power of polite words spoken at the right time and in the right way. Those words become little rays of light in the darkness.