Corporate E-Learning

Welcome to the Civility in the Workplace workshop. While a training program on workplace manners and courtesy may seem like overkill, the reality is: rudeness is an epidemic costing industry millions a year. Indeed, what society seems to be gaining in terms of both knowledge and technological advancement, it’s losing out on basic social values that directly impact the bottom line. Bosses freely intrude on subordinates’ personal space, gossiping co-workers are norm, and quality customer care has been forgotten. The result: an environment not conducive to getting work done, dissatisfied clients aiming for the competition, and in some cases, blatant tolerance for abuse and harassment. To address the growing problem of incivility in the work setting, this workshop introduces the concept of civility, its importance to a company, as well as its typical causes and effects. Skills needed to effectively practice civil behavior, as well as different ways organizations can systematize civility in the workplace will also be discussed.

Failing to smile at co-workers, or even just a tendency to smirk at a client’s unusual request, may not seem like much at first glance. But these seemingly innocuous behaviors can be costly in the long run. It’s important then to be appraised of the nature of civility, its behavioral indicators, and why its practice is imperative within an organization. In this module, you will be introduced to the concept of civility, and the idea that even a little consideration can go a long, long way. Signs of uncivil behavior, its costs and rewards, as well as the case for promoting civility in the workplace will also be discussed.

Promotion of civility within the workplace starts with at least promotion of basic workplace etiquette. Workplace etiquette refers to unwritten rules or norms of acceptable conduct within a professional environment. Violations of workplace etiquette are not always punishable by company law, but ignoring etiquette guidelines have considerable consequences for an employee or a business entity. In this module, you will be introduced to some tips in practicing workplace etiquette. In particular tips related to proper greeting, respect, involvement, and political correctness will be discussed.

This module explains how subtle and blatant acts of rudeness and inconsideration in the workplace equate to lesser revenue, higher employee turnover, and millions of funding spent responding to litigation. This module will also present how the opposite is true: that civility in the workplace means greater profits, higher employee engagement, and harassment-free working conditions.

Conflicts in the workplace are inevitable. To begin with, each person is different, and no two people will ever agree on everything. This is a good thing --- creativity and synergy in a team is often borne from the ability to make the most of diversity! Second, the workplace can be a high pressure environment where anger, frustration, and disappointment can take hold. When deadlines are right around the corner, when profits are not coming in, when ideas are all sub-par, you can expect clashes with workmates to rise. But more so, some issues are just by nature so complicated, that debate and discussion is the only way to go. The best way to deal with conflicts is to manage them. In this module, you will be presented with the different styles of conflict management as enumerated by Thomas and Killman in 1972. The pros and cons of each conflict management style, as well as their impact on civility in the workplace will also be discussed.

Cases of incivility in the workplace do not exist in a vacuum. Most of the time, incivility is caused (or at least maintained) by a bigger problem --- perhaps in the system, perhaps in the individuals involved. Going straight to the root cause of the problem is one of the best ways of managing incivility in the workplace; it has a better chance of preventing further incidences compared to merely addressing symptoms. It also helps staff members get a bigger picture of the problem behavior. In this module, you will learn about the importance of getting to the cause of incivility, and some tools that can help in understanding the elements behind incivility in your organization.

Civility is not rocket science. To a large extent, civility is all about effective communication: sending messages clearly and completely, and receiving messages accurately. But while many presume that communication occurs naturally, the reality is: communication is a skill that must be studied, practiced, and developed. There are many nuances to communication that would take time to understand. In this module, we will discuss two kinds of communication that often result in misunderstandings in the workplace: para-verbal communication and non-verbal communication. We will also present two skills that can help significantly improve communication in a company or organization. These two skills are listening and appreciative inquiry.

In an ideal world, it’s easy to come up with a solution that would 100% satisfy the interests and needs of parties in conflict. But in reality: few issues are cut-and-dried. Each party will has a valid point to be acknowledged, and some sacrifices must be made. But in order to ensure that the position of parties in conflict are communicated clearly and argued persuasively, each person must have negotiation skills in his or her arsenal. In this module, you will be presented with ways you can manage conflicts, which are a common source of uncivil behavior, in your workplace. Among these ways are mediation, arbitration, and creative problem-solving.

Creating a civil working environment begins with knowing what exactly are the needs of the organization and its employees. While general principles about civility can always be created, different companies have different needs. In this module, you will be presented with tools you can use to identify the need for civility in your organization. These tools are: observation, focus groups, and anonymous surveys.

Company management can talk about the importance of civility in their organization, and then assume that everyone will take the hint. Or, management can include civility as part of company policy. When an organization is serious in creating culture deeply rooted in civil behavior, the latter is the better option to take. When expected behavior from staff members is explicitly stated in the company manual, there is little room for second-guessing. In this module, you will be introduced to civility policy as a tool in institutionalizing civil behavior in the workplace.

You’ve recognized the great value that civility can bring to your company. You’ve crafted a well-written Civility Policy. You have a core group that is enthusiastic and raring to go when it comes to spreading the advocacy. What next? Implementing the policy, of course! This module discusses how companies and individual employees can go about putting all the positive valuing, planning, and policy-making around civility to action. The initial steps in implementing a civility policy, tips on training employees and managing complaints, as well ways on how to deal with violators will be presented.

Although this workshop is coming to a close, we hope that your journey to improve civility in your workplace is just beginning. Please take a moment to review and update your action plan. This will be a key tool to guide your progress in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. We wish you the best of luck on the rest of your travels!