Are you doing anything in your organization to define what it means to be civil? The question as to what civility even is has come up a lot lately. With the Presidential elections heating up and the expectation of contentious conversations bombarding us, it’s probably a good time to address the issue.
Some organizations are offering training in civility. At first glance, that may seem strange, but a little time spent watching news or social media should explain the need. What does it mean to be civil? Are your employees civil (polite, courteous) to each other? Do they truly understand what that means? When there are disagreements, are they discussed? Argued with heat? Ignored? As a manager, what role do you play in this?
We need to get to a point where we can appreciate our different points of view and expectations. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with each other. As a matter of fact, if we all held the same point of view, it is likely our organizations would falter and fade away. We need some friction to move forward. But we also must ensure we’re exploring our differences in constructive ways rather than destructive.
Compromise is not a bad word. Agreeing to disagree is also not the end of a relationship. We need to encourage constructive discourse and teach our staff how to work with different opinions and insights.
If we aren’t teaching and mentoring this type of behavior, we have no reason to expect it from our staff. And if we don’t talk about how to have appropriate conversations in the workforce, can we really be surprised when they don’t happen? We encourage distrust and subterfuge when we squash arguments. We need to set the boundaries and clarify expectations for how to deal with disagreements.
Certainly, when someone becomes emotional and heated, we need to step in and take appropriate action. But we’re better off if we teach civility and constructive conversations, provide tools and education that encourage civil conversations amongst employees. Those are skills that can be utilized beyond employment, as well.
In light of the world in which we live and the seeming lack of civility we’re exposed to fairly constantly, let’s do what we can to foster better communication. Our companies, our employees and even we, ourselves, can benefit from these lessons.
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