Being nice or kind isn’t something your mother just taught you to do. It’s actually very important to workplace morale and productivity. Research found that when people were mean to others at work it had a negative impact on employees and their performance. Dr. Porath reported that its not just being the recipient of it but it’s also seeing it, hearing it or reading it. She compares it to a virus that spreads. Think about if you have it in your home-life and bring it to work then it spreads to your co worker that can bring it home.
In medical situations Dr. Proath found that people made more mistakes with patients and treatment when they were engaged with other professionals that were in-civil.
Dr. Proath also conducted a study that found that 66% of people cut back on work, 80% lost work hours ruminating about the disrespectful or unkind event and 10% quit as a result of rude behavior. Other employees that witnessed these events showed a 25% decline in performance, brought 45% fewer ideas to the table and were 3 times less likely to help others on the job. Often times rude, cold behavior fostered more aggressive behavior in others.
It’s important as a business owner or manager to squelch rudeness and disrespect. It’s even more important to check yourself and make sure you aren’t leading with these traits. Often as leaders we think we have to be tough to be respected or to be listened to. Society often promotes that the good guys never win. However, in the long run being kind and showing empathy for others actually does pay off. It promotes a positive work culture and increases inter office communication and productivity.
Try and instill in your workers to not only cease being mean but to be positive. Recognize and promote others for making others feel valued, saying hello and smiling, listening to others when they speak, and supporting co workers. Model this behavior consistently.
By bringing positive energy, the desire to learn, and passion for your job you are inoculating the virus of meanness. If you focus on bringing your best attitude to work you can greatly reduce the impact of uncivil behavior for yourself and the workplace culture. This goes back to resilience factors. When we focus on what we can control it creates a feeling of empowerment and hopefulness making us less vulnerable to catching the rude virus.