Is it just me or do people seem to be getting more rude in professional settings?

70% of workers experience workplace incivility at least a few times a month, according to a new study out of Georgetown University.

It doesn’t end there. 73% of those surveyed say that it is not unusual for customers to behave badly and 78% believe customers treating employees poorly is more common than five years ago. Whoa. What’s going on here? It sure doesn’t seem like a good trend.

According to the research, five factors for this increasing rude behavior are:

1. Increased stress
2. Negative emotional status
3. Deteriorated relationships
4. Heavy technology use (I knew social media would be in here somewhere)
5. Low self awareness.

Yet most people stay at their jobs, regardless.

It’s up to leaders to mirror the right behaviors at work and recognize when boorish behavior is taking place. Leaders can address this issue by hiring the right people, training them to handle rude behavior and encourage & reward civility.

Be nice! What ever happened to “walk a mile in my shoes”?

But, of course, the nuances of this golden rule are up for interpretation.

If you’ve had one-too-many rude run-ins on the job and feel ready to move to a more civilized environment, give me a call. With 30 years as a recruiter & career coach, we could generate some good ideas for you.

#benice #workplaceculturematters #career