Workplace Courtesy
Seven Steps to Building a Company Culture that Embraces RESPECT
Developing a company culture which embraces common courtesy is important to creating a positive work environment. Here are the seven steps to building RESPECT at work.
Common courtesy – it’s not so common anymore. -- Unknown
Road rage. School violence. Workplace bullying. All of these acts are evidence of an ever-increasing trend toward letting our emotions get the better of us and the loss of respect we have for one another. And nowhere is this more evident than in the workplace.
While the ultimate responsibility for producing respectful adults is in the hands of the parents that raised them, employers have the ability to control workplace behavior and employees have a responsibility to act accordingly. But to do this an organization must build workplace courtesy and respect into their organizational culture.
So to help employers and employees embrace workplace courtesy and build a healthier work environment, here are seven concepts with related action items based on the acronym RESPECT:
Rights and responsibilities
- Establish rights and responsibilities for managers and employees to educate them on their role within the organization as it relates to appropriate behavior
- Drive a corporate culture that is built on mutual respect for internal and external customers alike
Equality
- Eliminate barriers between work groups in the organization – management vs. employees, corporate vs. field, department vs. department
- Embrace the uniqueness of everyone by encouraging discussions of differences and alternative points of view
Standards of success
- Establish a culture that formally defines appropriate conduct and incorporates company values such as respect, open communication and customer service into the work environment
- Start the gold standard of behavior at the top of the organization and let it trickle down
Perception
- Walk the walk by personally emulating appropriate and acceptable behavior
- Eliminate office politics by not prejudging individuals or assuming unsubstantiated facts
- Be aware of unspoken messages, mixed signals and body language
- Evaluate people on the quality of their work and personal character
Effort
- Hold all employees -- from top to bottom – accountable for their own actions and behavior and for meeting the standards of success established by the organization then recognize and reward employees for their achievement
- Confront issues when they happen by politely addressing any grievances or concerns directly with the person involved
Communication
- Develop formal communication processes (i.e. employee handbook, newsletters, regular meetings) and squelch informal communication systems (i.e. rumors, gossip, the grapevine) by keeping everyone in the loop
- Develop a solid performance management system that encourages regular coaching and 360° feedback
- Communicate Rights and Responsibilities and the Standards of Success through written materials
Training
- Train managers to be managers before they become managers
- Create a buddy system to acclimate new employees to the environment
- Improve group dynamics by practicing team building
- Teach tolerance
