The Power of Etiquette in the Workplace

Etiquette" - a fussy, outdated concept? Think again. A 2003 study co-sponsored by Johns Hopkins University found that 65 percent of surveyed employees witnessed what they considered to be uncivil behavior in their workplace. 70 percent of those contemplated leaving their jobs as a result. Find out more about etiquette, courtesy and civility and lack of them in today's business world.

(PRWEB) April 29, 2004 -- In todays business climate of downsizing, offshoring, increased demand for productivity, and emphasis on technology over people, CEOs, HR managers and other company officers may be tempted to think of etiquette" as a fussy, outdated concept unworthy of a companys attention or resources.

They do so at their own peril.

Recent authoritative studies have shown that the lack of courtesy in the workplace - rudeness, incivility, bullying, disrespect, dismissive, demeaning or inappropriate behavior - have an enormous effect on a companys bottom line.

A 2003 study co-sponsored by Johns Hopkins University [i] found that 65 percent of surveyed employees witnessed what they considered to be uncivil behavior in their place of work. Of these, 36 percent had been the victim of such behavior. Ominously for their companies, 70 percent of those contemplated leaving their jobs as a result, and 63 percent felt less of a commitment to their company.

In another study, conducted in 1999 [ii], 46 percent of those surveyed considered changing jobs. Though only 12 percent actually did, 37 percent felt less commitment to the organization, and 22 percent said they decreased their work effort.

Even more sobering, research has shown incivility to be highly correlated with crime. Minor acts of incivility gradually increase to more serious levels [iii]. Thus, incivility can and should be viewed as a precursor to workplace violence. Emerging case law is making it increasingly clear that employers have a duty to ensure that employees are treated fairly, with civility, decency, respect and dignity. This means educating ones working community with respect to the standards - that is, etiquette. Not to do so is to risk not only loss of trained employees and overall productivity, but lawsuits as well.

Any company seeking a competitive edge should consider this: An overwhelming 84 percent of respondents in the Johns Hopkins study believed that efforts to improve civility in their workplace would increase their personal productivity. Sadly, though, more than a third (36 percent) said their company had no policy regarding professional interpersonal contact, or one that they were aware of.

Of course, etiquette or the lack thereof not only affects a company internally, but has a profound effect on a companys customer base. In one survey of 1,281 business professionals [iv], 58 percent said their response to rude behavior was to take their business elsewhere. Most, 62 percent, named telephone rudeness - long, abrupt holds, unreturned phone call, and voice mail mazes as the rudest behavior. Conversely, 42 percent said they went out of their way to conduct business with firms that demonstrated behaviors they admired, including friendly, quick greetings, helpfulness from employees even if it wasnt their job, and appreciation of the customer, their coworkers and employees.

Cultivating courtesy requires a company-wide commitment and reinforcement through training. Although rudeness is often perceived as emanating from the top down - such as being excluded from meetings relevant to their work, or being publicly demeaned by a higher-up - it also is experienced in such actions as having ones food filched from the company refrigerator, or having a coworker shift blame for a mistake. And it is not only a problem between the sexes. In one study, 72 percent of those surveyed were women, of whom 66 percent said the perpetrators of an uncivil incident were women.

Even an increase in the simplest courtesies such as saying please, thank you, and asking How may I help?" can make a contribution to company morale ... and the bottom line.

The most enlightened companies in this respect, such as Glaxo Wellcome, Sprint and Nortel, are recognizing the value of setting new policies on behavioral expectations" of employees. Policies must be clearly written and communicated effectively. These can and should cover a broad spectrum of situations, including telephone and e-mail etiquette; proper procedures for communication grievances; respecting the privacy and property of coworkers, as well as of the public areas of the company; dress codes and grooming habits; the use of profane, sexist or otherwise demeaning language; and even boundaries or contracts concerning office romances. Incivility must be recognized and offending employees held accountable.

Beyond written policy, it is incumbent especially on managers to model appropriate communication skills - good listening habits; encouragement for jobs well done; private rather than public confrontations for infractions or mistakes; and even to overcome annoying personal habits such as burping or smacking the lips.

Company culture is largely an unconscious process formed daily and over time by the habits of interaction between members of that community. Instigating etiquette training signals that a company recognizes each members value and is willing to make a conscious effort to create an atmosphere of mutual respect, and help bring out the best in each employee.

[i] The Baltimore Workplace Civility Study, January, 2003; A collaboration between the University of Baltimores Jacob France Institute, the John Hopkins University, and local business leaders; Random sample of 400 employees from four Baltimore-area industries.

[ii] Civility study through the Kenan-Fagler Business School at the University in North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 1999. 775 respondents.

[iii] Goldstein, 1994; Taylor & Gottsfredson, 1986.

[iv] ETICON, Inc., Etiquette Consultants for Business in Columbia, S.C. 1,281 surveyed nationwide.

To receive the etiquette program tailored to your company needs and ready to deliver in a few days, please contact:
TreeLine Training
(303) 544-1930
(800) 288-1962 Ext.307
http://www.treelinetraining.com

TreeLine provides training ranging from off-the-shelf to highly customized. Our training specialists have created a curriculum of 90 core skills that can be customized to meet your companys specific goals and needs. High-quality, cost efficient training programs, delivered to participants using blended training solutions -- from ILT or WBT.