Houston, We Have a Problem
As Leaders of Light, we know that society has an incivility problem.
From people to politics, from sports to schools, from travel to texting, incivility is everywhere — and it’s getting worse. In fact, according to the Society for Human Resources Management, people collectively experience some 67 million acts of incivility per day in the workplace alone!
In very real terms, people who are on the receiving end of these inconsiderate acts are affected deeply. According to the nation’s leading expert on incivility, Christine Porath, the typical person who has been wronged will spend more than 20 hours ruminating on how to handle it. Tragically, nearly everyone takes action to get even.
This is what makes incivility so insidious.
As Leaders of Light, it’s our job to change this trajectory. Fortunately, there is a proven technique that will help us to get the job done.
The Power of Setting Clear Expectations
When it comes to stemming the tide of incivility, the most powerful action that a Leader of Light can take is setting crystal clear expectations.
Indeed, when expectations flow from the top, they have the power to shape behavior and set the general tone and tenor of an organization’s culture. What’s more, by setting crystal clear expectations, not only are leaders letting everyone know that a higher standard of behavior is expected, but they are illuminating exactly what that behavior looks like.
Law Firm Bryan Cave Leads the Way
An Irvine, California-based law firm, Bryan Cave, has long been a leader in establishing clear civility expectations for all of their employees and associates. To accomplish this, they created an innovative “Code of Civility.”
Practically speaking, Bryan Cave’s “Code of Civility” outlines exactly the type of behavior that is expected from everyone who is associated with their organization. From how they greet each other to how they handle their disagreements, it’s all there. In fact, this code is so important to the law firm that it appears prominently in their lobby.
With this kind of thoughtful and proactive behavior, it should come as no surprise that Bryan Cave was ranked No. 1 on the register of Orange County’s Best Places to Work.
Free Download | Bryan Cave’s Code of Civility
Download this free resource, and use it in your own organization to help establish a culture of civility.
