Lack Of Relational Courtesy At Work And Rude Colleagues
Lack of courtesy at work is all too common. Rude coworkers are those who use teasing and criticism and make tasks more difficult. It also does not facilitate team spirit. By their often aggressive and unethical behavior, they create a very negative work climate which affects a large part of the company.
It is no coincidence that this reality is of increasing concern to experts. Every workplace is indeed a microcosm of society itself. It is a space of human interrelation whose objective should be to unite synergies to achieve common objectives. However, disrespect, harassment, rudeness and violations seem to be a constant.
Some research points to something interesting. It only takes one person to initiate this type of behavior for it to gradually become contagious like a virus. Ultimately, this dynamic results in low productivity and, even worse, anxiety disorders, depression and sick leave.
What is the lack of courtesy at work?
Just a few months ago, a study was published on the subject, which should invite us to think deeply. The University of Illinois at Chicago (USA) conducted a survey spread over more than two decades and shows that rude behavior, lack of courtesy and disrespect are a constant at the scene of trav garlic .
The fundamental problem is that this behavior is tolerated. It is generally not accompanied by any restraint, sanction or warning. The complexity lies in the fact that these aggressive dynamics tend to normalize.
So, in some companies, nothing changes over time. The authors of this article define it as a chronic lack of civility. It is found in restaurant chains as well as in large companies in the technology sector. Let’s take a look at what this lack of interpersonal courtesy at work consists of.
From lack of courtesy to rudeness, then to aggression
This is an important and striking fact. This type of behavior is increasing. It starts with a simple lack of courtesy. We prefer to no longer rely on the person in question when it comes to accomplishing a task. You no longer take your opinion into account when you agree on something. Colleagues prefer to avoid it during breaks, meals, etc.
However, these details, which to many people don’t matter much, are getting more and more serious. One day, profanity appears. The person openly disrespects someone. She belittles her abilities or makes fun of herself in front of others repeatedly.
The worst is yet to come. It is very common that, sooner or later, aggressive behavior and even bullying appear. It is as if we are provoking conflict. It therefore begins with a lack of interpersonal courtesy at work, before coming to rudeness and it ends with more open aggressiveness.
Contagious behavior
It almost looks like a horror movie. Research carried out by psychologists Trevor Foulk, Andrew Woolum and Amir Erez of the University of Florida (United States) shows a very serious phenomenon: lack of courtesy at work is contagious. Rudeness calls for rudeness.
Not only is aggressive behavior tolerated, but if someone does, others allow it as well. A cascading phenomenon follows. This shows us something that has been observed many times at the experimental level. Let us recall, for example, the case of the “Bobo” doll and the aggression of children.
We often find that negative behavior is not only tolerated in the workplace. They are often learned, integrated and repeated. Some people bully because other coworkers do it. There are those who do not cross the line, however, but tolerate disrespect and do not speak out.
Zero tolerance for lack of civility in the workplace
Lack of courtesy at work should not be normalized. Rudeness cannot be tolerated and harassment cannot and should not be allowed. So, as it is often said in the business world, sometimes it only takes one “bad apple” to spoil the whole basket. In other words, there are always one, two or three people who are at the root of these negative and counterproductive behaviors.
Lack of respect, mockery and criticism gradually spread throughout the organization. This is causing an epidemic of bad behavior. We need to be clear on one thing: everyone loses in this type of situation. The resulting climate is so harmful that it affects all levels: psychological, social, productive, etc.
The field of organizational psychology offers something very simple to remedy: detecting infectious foci and ruling out them. Lack of civility is not acceptable and human resources and management need to devise strategies to identify cheeky, rude and harassing people.
We need managers who encourage coexistence, respect, cooperation and gratitude. Only human teams capable of working in harmony and with respect for everyone create the right environment to go further together, united in the same project. Respect, value and trust others.
Our thoughts Soft skills refer to skills that are more related to human-specific, emotional and intuitive skills.
