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Workplace Rudeness Breeds Trouble
by Andrew R. McIlvaine
[Human Resource Executive Online | December 3, 2008]
Unreasonable corporate expectations, permitting star performers to act out, and ineffective or little-known policies are some of the reasons rudeness may be growing in the workplace. Experts offer some ideas to curb the problem.
Chances are good that stress levels are higher now in many workplaces than at any time in recent memory, what with the economic threat overhanging the traditionally stress-filled holiday season, not to mention the plunging investment values of retirement plans.
And chances are also good that those heightened stress levels are leading employees to be a little less civil to one another. But the toxic atmosphere that workplace rudeness can create is a factor HR leaders simply can't afford to ignore.
"We're all going through a very hard time with the economy right now, people are stressed out, and rudeness at work is a symptom of that stress," says Debbie Mandel, a stress management consultant and author of Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life.
Rudeness at work is hardly new, but its effects can be substantial: A study of 1,100 employees at a large federal court system by University of Michigan researcher Lilia M. Cortina found that 71 percent of the workers had been insulted, demeaned, ignored or otherwise treated discourteously by their co-workers and supervisors.
The study, conducted in 2001, found that employees who experience uncivil treatment report lower job satisfaction and are more likely to "withdraw from their jobs" by being tardy, taking unnecessary sick days or simply not working very hard.
Mandel, who is based in Lawrence, Long Island, N.Y., and regularly conducts stress-management seminars for large companies in Manhattan, says HR should tackle workplace rudeness by addressing its underlying causes.
"So many people become rude because they're criticized, and when you're out of balance and stressed-out, you just can't take criticism," she says.
Mandel advocates a somewhat unorthodox approach to relieving stress in the workplace: exercise.
"I believe activity alleviates anxiety, gets rid of the 'afternoon slump' and boosts productivity," she says.
She recommends short, three-minute exercises employees can perform at their desks, including chair squats, "desk push-ups" and calf raises, among others. "Exercise releases endorphins and creates new neurons in the brain, so you're actually improving your mind and are better able to look for positive solutions," she says.
Donna Flagg suggests that HR take a more straightforward approach to stopping rudeness: Send out a memo that defines unacceptable behavior, establishes a zero tolerance for it and explains the consequences of such behavior. When violations occur, HR should quickly enforce those consequences, she says.
"The companies that are good at maintaining a civil environment simply don't tolerate poor behavior," says Flagg, president of The Krysalis Group, a New York-based management consulting firm that counts Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Barneys New York among its clients. "Knowing what to do about [misbehavior in the workplace] is quite simple, but having the discipline, focus and fortitude to actually do it presents the greatest challenge."
Flagg says she's skeptical that the troubled economy is a factor.
"I don't think rudeness goes up during tough times," she says. "Rude people are simply not happy people, or they've learned this behavior and have been allowed to get away with it."
Rudeness -- and even worse behavior -- can thrive at companies where "star performers" are allowed to get away with conduct that wouldn't otherwise be tolerated, says Ilene Wasserman, president of ICW Consulting in Narberth, Pa.
"I've worked with companies where blatantly abusive behavior had gone unchecked, or mildly punished at best, because the perpetrator was a good performer," she says. "Those companies ended up being hit with numerous sexual-harassment suits."
But, in dealing with such conduct, it's better for managers to adopt a constructive approach to monitoring employee performance, rather than focusing on workers' shortcomings or "being tough."
"Criticizing and shaming people is not a path to growth," says Wasserman. "It's about noticing what people's strengths are and helping them to identify areas that they need to strengthen further."
Wasserman says President-elect Barack Obama sets a good example of management.
"If you look at his leadership style, you'll notice that he's very calm, deliberative and makes it a point to listen to a variety of viewpoints," she says. "And interestingly enough, he ended up not appointing [former Harvard University President] Larry Summers as Treasury Secretary, who happens to have a reputation for being uncivil and abrasive to others."
Mandel agrees that HR should ensure that employee-performanc
"It just might be that -- especially today -- your company's goals and expectations are unreasonable," she says. "You might consider asking employees to anonymously write down things that are bothering them and then hold meetings to address those concerns."
Finally, everyone -- HR executives included -- should monitor their own behavior, says Mandel.
"You can change someone's entire day just by being civil," she says. "We should strive to be 'green' in our relationships as well as the environment."
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