Do you think that manners and etiquette are lacking in today’s workplace? Are you observing a decline in ethics as well? You are not alone. Organisations in both the for-profit and the non-profit sectors are contacting me in greater numbers than ever before, citing just such issues and seeking help in dealing with them. This article may not solve all your problems, but it can identify some of them and offer suggestions on how to deal with them. A recent national survey conducted by Kessler International came up with some disturbing information about the state of manners, etiquette and ethics in the workplace.
Of the respondents, 84% observed rudeness and lack of courtesy in their staff. 65% felt that a shocking majority lacked a “moral compass.” The reasons they gave for allowing such behaviour was just as surprising. For one, they cited political correctness in their companies as an excuse for not dealing with the issues.
Does that mean that supervisors are afraid of offending someone by correcting their behaviour, their dress, their appearance or their language?
The second excuse by those surveyed was their personal inability to handle confrontation. Hearing that leads me to believe that what they lack is the courage of their convictions. A third reason cited was obstacles and constraints placed on them by their Human Resource departments the very people who should be supporting company policy regarding employee behaviour or instituting one if none exists. Not surprising were the etiquette and ethics issues cited by those responding. The challenges noted in the study and my own observations are listed below. 👇🏻
Etiquette & Ethic Challenges At Work: 1 Inappropriate use of mobile/cell phones 2 Wearing unacceptable clothing to work 3 Complete lack of courtesy and respect for others 4 Failure to say please, thank you and you’re welcome 5 Using street talk and gestures in professional meetings 6 Being untruthful to a caller over the phone 7 Hanging up on customers when the call becomes difficult 8 Inability to write a proper letter or email 9 Stealing time by arriving late and leaving early 10 Visiting inappropriate websites on company time 11 Acting unprofessionally with clients during business functions 12 Lack of proper table manners when dining with clients.
All this boils down to a general lack of courtesy, respect and integrity. This information is overwhelming, but it’s not news.
We have been observing such behaviour and companies have been suffering from it for years. Isn’t it time to do something about it before customers, co-workers and profits suffer any more? What can be done? - Here are some straightforward, but not necessarily simple, solutions: How To Resolve Etiquette & Ethic Challenges At Work:
1 Management needs to take charge, to recognise and to deal with the problems.
2 Human Resources departments need to act to see that policies are not only in place but also implemented.
3 Supervisors need to be trained to handle confrontation and corrective action.
4 Employees need to be held accountable.
5 Behaviours need to change before etiquette and ethics are but a faint memory. People do business with people they like and trust. Ask yourself the tough questions: Are my employees likeable and trustworthy? And if the answer is “no,” what am I willing to do about it?