Workplace Civility

From Etiquette to Ethics

The Camper Group designed its Workplace Civility seminar to enable employees at all levels to work together with greater awareness of themselves and of others, leading to a safer, more productive workplace. Incivility takes many forms, and in some situations, the people involved have scant awareness that what has been said or done might be considered un-civil by other(s). This comprehensive interdisciplinary seminar addresses what might appear to be disparate issues, ranging from business and management principles to psychology and sociology, from communication to the abuse of power, from gender roles to cross-cultural relationships.

This Civility seminar focuses attention on ever-present "meta messages"—the overriding messages between people. Meta messages may be communicated in terms of status, power, gender, education and the like. For example, executives talking with subordinates exude both status and power just because of their role in the organization. Whatever is said can only be heard in this context. Both managers and non-managers are encouraged to think about what civility really means and the fact that in today's culture the meaning of civility, and the meaning of respect and dignity are likely to be viewed very differently by different employees. The seminar also provides an opportunity to examine effective workplace cultures as opposed to "toxic" cultures. Seminar participants will be invited to assess their company's culture and their own personal style. Finally, a series of methodologies is introduced based on desirable values, practices, and goals.

Please contact us to discuss the most appropriate format for your organization and how the Camper Group can help your employees work together in a civil environment.

The Seminar Modules outlined below offer examples of program content. Each class is custom-crafted to meet your organization's specific goals.

Workplace Civility Defined

• Civility Is Not a "Squishy" Issue
• The Civility/Ethics Link
• Causal Factors: External
• Causal Factors: Internal

Cost of Workplace Incivility

• The Business Case for a Civil Workplace
• The High Cost of Tolerating Incivility
• Legal Pitfalls
• Bullying Bosses and/or Co-Workers
• Why Targets Don't Talk . . . But When They Do . . .

The Civil Workplace: 100 Best Companies

• General Observations About Companies
• Best/Worst Cultures
• Best Companies = Great Success
• From Good to Great (Collins)
• The Complacency Syndrome
• If It Ain't Broke . . . Break It (Kriegal)

Management Practices

• Meta Messages
• Management Theories X, Y, Z
• The Potential Abuse of Power
• Gender Issues in the Workplace
• The Johari Window: Managing Up, Down, Across
• Managing Across Cultures: US & Other Countries
• Assess Your Management Style

The Managers' Responsibility

• Pro-active Measures
• Preventive Maintenance
• Early Warning Signs
• Taking Complaints

The Subordinates' Responsibility

• Taking Responsibility for Oneself
• Managing Up and Across
• Applying New Communication Skills

Fundamental Human Needs

• Maslow's Model
• US/UN Assumptions
• The Cross-cultural Conundrum

Languaging

• Language as "Prison-House of the Mind"
• Language as Inherently Ambiguous
• Of Lenses and Filters
• The Impact of Words on Thought Patterns
• Uncommon Sense: Toward a New Definition of Reality

Professional Workplace Behavior

• R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
• "Cuss Control" Academy
• When Humor Fails

Communication

• Fundamentals
• Back to Meta Messages
• The ED Model (Encoder & Decoder)
• Verbal & Non-Verbal Components
• Listening Skills

Emotional Intelligence

• Emotional Quotient (EQ) & Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
• Predictors of Personal and Professional Success
• Developing a High EQ
• Providing Feedback: Catch People Doing Something Right
• Day-to-Day Feedback
• Formal Performance Reviews

Stress/Anger & Time Management

• The Individual: Physical/Psychological, Professional
• The Organization: Bottom Line
• The Case of the Hijacked Amygdala
• Activating the Neo-cortex

What Can Be Done?

• Gap Analysis
• Force-Field Analysis
• Systemic Approach
• Policies & Procedures
• The Civility Task Force
• Economic Measures: No, Low, High Cost Methodologies
• The Highest Cost of All

Building Trust

• Day-to-Day Etiquette
• Commitment