Scaling a culture of civility across a sprawling, multi-location organization can be daunting, but it's imperative for fostering a positive, productive work environment. The key lies in a deliberate, consistent, and persistent approach. Whether you foster a culture of civility or incivility is alive in your organization, it will be felt and have significant impact.
- Defining Civility: The first step is to clearly articulate what civility means within your organization. This involves specifying the behaviors expected of all employees, regardless of their role or location. Examples include treating colleagues with respect, avoiding negativity, fostering inclusivity, and addressing conflicts professionally. Underlying talking about civility is the importance of psychological safety to speak up in the first place. If that’s not present, a whole lot of talk about civility can happen with no real change.
- Consistent Communication: Once defined, these expectations must be communicated consistently and pervasively. This starts at the top, with senior leaders modeling the desired behaviors. No one can be above the law. However, it extends to every aspect of the employee experience, from onboarding to performance reviews.
- Creating a Culture Code: A tangible "civility code" or "culture code" can serve as a powerful tool. This document outlines your expectations in clear, memorable language and can be integrated into various aspects of organizational life, from posters to email signatures.
- Comprehensive Training: Invest in training programs that address effective communication, conflict resolution, and unconscious bias. Emphasize that these skills are as vital as technical expertise to a company’s success. Your employees feel it and through them, your customers will too.
- Performance Management: Incorporate behavioral expectations into job descriptions and performance reviews. Recognize and reward those who exemplify civility, and hold those who fall short accountable.
- Empowering Culture Champions: Encourage all employees to become advocates for civility. Create safe channels for reporting concerns and ensure that these reports are promptly addressed.
Building a culture of civility is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. It requires unwavering reinforcement from leaders and active participation from all employees. The rewards – a workplace where everyone matters, feels respected, valued, and empowered – make the effort worthwhile.
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