Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business | Christine Porath
Who Do You Want to Be?
The Importance of Self-Identity
- The question "Who do you want to be?" is pivotal, as daily actions reflect one's identity and influence professional success.
- Actions can either uplift others through respect and appreciation or diminish them through rudeness and exclusion.
Understanding Incivility
- Incivility is defined as disrespect or rudeness, encompassing behaviors like mocking, belittling, and offensive jokes.
- Perceptions of incivility vary; what one person finds rude may not affect another, highlighting the subjective nature of respect.
Personal Experience with Incivility
- The speaker shares a personal story about their father's health decline due to work-related stress from an uncivil boss.
- Early career experiences included facing harsh criticism from coworkers, prompting a decision to study the effects of incivility academically.
Research Findings on Incivility
- A study revealed that small acts of incivility lead to significant negative outcomes in motivation and job performance.
- Results showed that 66% reduced work efforts after experiencing rudeness; 80% spent time worrying about it, while 12% left their jobs.
Broader Impacts of Witnessing Incivility
- Further research indicated that witnessing incivility also negatively impacts bystanders' performance significantly.
- Experiments demonstrated that even observing rude behavior can decrease attention and motivation among witnesses.
The Contagious Nature of Rudeness
- Incivility spreads like a virus; exposure affects emotions, performance, and interpersonal treatment across various environments (workplace, home).
- Even reading or seeing rude words can impair cognitive functions such as attention and decision-making abilities.
Real-Life Consequences in Critical Situations
- An example from healthcare illustrates how rudeness led to a fatal medication error due to impaired team communication post-interaction with an uncivil doctor.
The Importance of Civility in Leadership
Understanding the Reasons Behind Incivility
- The primary reason for incivility is stress, leading individuals to feel overwhelmed.
- People are skeptical about being civil, fearing it may make them appear less leader-like and questioning if "nice guys finish last."
- Research by Morgan McCall and Michael Lombardo indicates that insensitivity and abrasive behavior are major contributors to executive failure.
The Consequences of Incivility
- While some uncivil individuals may succeed temporarily, they often sabotage their long-term success due to a lack of support from others.
- True civility involves small gestures like smiling and listening attentively, which can foster a positive environment even during disagreements.
Benefits of Being Civil
- Civility enhances perceptions of leadership; those seen as civil are twice as likely to be viewed as leaders and perform better.
- Respect is identified as the most desired trait from leaders among over 20,000 employees surveyed globally, surpassing recognition or feedback.
Practical Steps to Foster Civility
- Simple actions such as thanking people, sharing credit, and acknowledging others can significantly impact workplace culture.
- Patrick Quinlan's "10-5 way" emphasizes making eye contact within ten feet and greeting people within five feet to promote civility.
Case Study: Doug Conant at Campbell's Soup Company
- Doug Conant transformed Campbell's Soup Company from a toxic environment into a high-performing organization by prioritizing civility alongside performance standards.
- He emphasized daily interactions (touch points), ensuring employees felt valued through consistent engagement.
The Impact of Civility on Performance
- Conant handwrote over 30,000 thank-you notes to employees, setting an example for other leaders about the importance of recognition.