The Ramifications of Workplace Rudeness
Is the workplace fertile ground for bad manners? Sure seems that way. A new study out of West Chester University in Pennsylvania found that 75 percent of workers are treated rudely by bosses or colleagues at least once a year. That's troubling because even subtle rudeness decreases job satisfaction and commitment to the company, increases turnover, and negatively impacts productivity.
University of Florida researchers discovered that mild verbal abuse can fluster people enough to significantly diminish their problem-solving and creative talents. And in extreme cases, mistreatment or perceived mistreatment could lead to violent responses.
It's not like we're experiencing a new rash of rudeness -- a report from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor back in 2001 said that 71% of 1,100 workers surveyed had experienced put-downs or condescending and outright rude behavior. But with the economy tightening up, bosses and managers can't afford to alienate their employees by copping bad attitudes, nor should they tolerate disrespect in the ranks.
Your first step is to examine your own behavior and make sure you're observing good business etiquette. As a manager, make sure none of the "Terrible Ten Rude Behaviors" -- such as employment discrimination, treating service providers as inferiors, or texting during a meeting -- are happening within your team. And if you're the victim of rudeness, express your concerns in terms of how it affects your work instead of making it personal.
How many of you have experienced workplace rudeness -- and to what extent? Take the poll, and share your ideas for combating bad behavior in the comments section.