Civility in the Workplace

Carrie A. Roberts, MEd, LPC, CEAP
EAP Consultant/Coach
Some time ago, I was asked to speak about a topic that seems to be huge these days – Civility in the Workplace.  In preparing for it, I thought about what that actually means.   Basically, it means being nice to each other.  So, why would that be important?  After all, aren’t we just supposed to come to work, do our job, be productive and focus on the bottom line (which has to do with making money and being profitable)?  Well, it turns out that being nice and getting along DOES affect the bottom line!

However, it appears to be very hard for many to accomplish.  Why?  We’ve got deadlines to meet!  Conflicts to settle!  Promotions to obtain!  Productivity standards to reach!  All of these can pit people against each other.  People become so focused on the bottom line that they lose sight of the fact that there is another “customer” that needs to be valued. Who might this “other customer” be? The internal customer, you!  Why would that be important? Because when we’re happy and all getting along, we have more energy and enthusiasm to be more productive. On one of the morning shows that I watch, there have been numerous discussions about the profitability of having a kinder workplace. This has become the widespread view of many businesses; a happy employee is a productive employee.
Because of the nature of my work as a coach, I research many organizational trends so I can keep up-to-date.  The research indicates that we are heading into a time when companies have to become “Conscious Corporations” or they will not make it.  What this means is this: we need to make space for each other to be powerful, productive human beings. 

Call Harbor at 419.475.4449 with any questions you may have about work/life balance.