From Road Rage To Desk Rage Incivility in the Workplace

1. From Road Rage To Desk Rage Incivility in the Workplace John Fuller, Ed.D. Director Office of Workforce Diversity Johns Hopkins Hospital

2. Workplace Dynamics Work Background Disability Thinking Style Age Education Income Sexual Orientation Race Marital Status Gender Identification Disability Parental Status Ethnicity Military Experience Geographic Location Generational Values/Motivations

3. When you left for work this morning, what did you leave behind? • Your opinions? Your background? • Your generation? Your native language? • Your doubts? Your children? • Your secrets? Your real hairstyle? • Your race? Your politics? • Your ethnicity? Your gender? • Your sexual orientation? Your personality? • Your uniqueness? Your ideas? Positive Dynamic or Perfect Storm?

6. Current Headlines • Fearing Long Recession, Employers Halt Hiring • Foreclosures Increasing; Housing Bottom Not in Sight • Politics Can Chill Water Cooler Chatter • Workplace survey by Vault Politics 46% had witnessed a political argument between co-workers • Job Losses Accelerate Signaling Deeper Distress • Harris Interactive Poll indicates that 7 out of 10 area residents say jobs and money are significant sources of stress exceeding the national average

7. How Does It Make You Feel? • Commuting to work and someone cuts you off nearly causing you an accident? What if it was a coworker who did this to you? • Seeing others talking on the phone while driving and not paying attention? In the fast lane? • Weaving in and out of traffic like stunt drivers? • Riding behind someone with a political bumper sticker? In the fast lane going 55 in a 55 mph zone in front of you? • Late because of an accident backing up traffic. • Gas Prices/Current Financial Crises/your 401/402?

8. Minding Your Metro MannersRidership Has Grown • Keep your music to yourself. Personal music players; keep volume so others cannot hear • Cell phone conversation – no one wants to hear your medical ailments or other personal information • Keep your germs to yourself • Be mindful of fellow riders’ private space • Watch your body parts while standing or sitting • No food and please take baths before boarding!

9. Reuters Report on Desk RageAugust 2008 • 50% of all workers report yelling and verbal abuse on the job with 25% stating being driven to tears. • 2-3 percent admit hitting, pushing, or slapping someone at work. • 100 million in the workforce that amounts to as many as 3 million people. • One sixth of US Workers reported anger at work has led to property damage and a tenth reported physical violence at the workplace fearing for safety. • Contemporary pressures such as rising fuel costs fan the flames. • People coming to work after a long commute sitting in traffic, watching their discretionary income burn up. • They are already for a fight or just really upset.

10. Derailing Behaviors MICRO INEQUITIES Definition: Tiny damaging discriminatory action or comment which normally one cannot do anything about. Yet they are incredibly damaging

11. DERAILING BEHAVIORSCarry A Powerful Impact Doesn’t Matter What Message You Send Only the Message That Was Received! Co-Responsibility

12. Examining Costs of Employee Turnover Due to Derailing Behaviors • Administrative including time spent copying documents, scheduling appointments, coordinating with hiring manager. • Interview Related including reference checks, emails, mailings, postage, resume screening, criminal/credit checks, medical exams, drug tests, orientation materials and presentations. • Outgoing Employee including paid accrued vacation, separation bay, continued benefits, processing benefits, payroll processing, unemployment compensation………

13. Employee Dignity Entitlements • PEOPLE IN THIS ORGANIZATION: • Receive recognition in proportion to their contribution. • Are treated as unique individuals –not stereotyped. • Receive fair coaching and feedback to enhance their skills and are clear about what is expected. • Receive negative feedback in private in a manner that exhibits respect. • Receive a hearing about any concern or opportunity they want to bring to the attention of the organization. • Receive a fair opportunity to compete for jobs when available.

14. Derailing BehaviorsYou Think YOUR Boss is Bad? • People not being told what is expected of them, then chastised for failing to perform. • People being promoted to appease them. • People being intentionally ignored as a way to belittle them. • People being left out of the loop in important information, intentionally to hurt their performance. • People deserving promotions being overlooked to punish them. “People Join Companies – But they leave Managers” Gallup Quote

15. INCIVILITY Incivility is evidenced by disrespectful behavior. It undermines the dignity and self-esteem of employees, creating unnecessary suffering. 28% lost work time avoiding the instigator of the incivility 53% lost time worrying about the incident/future interactions 37% believe their commitment at work declined 22% have decreased their effort at work 10% decreased the amount of time that they spent at work 12% actually changed jobs to avoid the instigator

16. Acts of Incivility by Management • Manager who never recognizes the contributions/achievements of staff – instead pounces on every mistake. “Nitpicking” • Manager meetings with staff members that often begin with “Do you mean to tell me…” or saying “Off the record” • No Developmental Assignments • No Constructive Feedback or Mentoring • Limited Expectations • Not evaluated fairly based on performance, rather on personality style, professional background, age, race, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation.

17. Informal Survey Results from MIT Study • 56% reported Rude intentional disregard of a person’s presence and intentional actions that embarrass or devalue • 53% reported Blatantly rude/Lack of manners or common courtesy • 32% Reported Repeated unjustified criticism designed to demoralize • 34%reportedConfrontational “in your face” demeanor. • 62% reported Back-Stabbing – Unfairly criticizing behind their backs for personal gain.

18. Workplace BullyingInappropriate interpersonal behaviors workers are subject to through their employment • Persistent unjustified criticism • Public humiliation • Threats to professional standing • Scrutiny of work • Unfair allegations of incompetence • Can be verbal or horizontal (other colleagues) • Stalking and intrusion; can lead to physical violence

19. Who Does the Bullying? • Men and women bully and are bullied • Women bullies target women 84% of the time • Men bullies target women 69% of the time • Women are more likely to report bullying • About 1 in 100 who experience egregious bullying either attempts or succeeds to commit suicide • Most people who are bullied report damage to their health • Overwhelming majority of bullies are repeat offenders • Bullying is responsible for 1 resignation in 4

20. WhoActually Commits Work Related Acts of Incivility or Bullying?

21. Did you know…. • Job discrimination complaints rose 9% in Fiscal Year 2007 to nearly 88,000. • The EEOC collected over $345 million in settlements in FY 2007. • 18% of all Federal Sexual Harassment federal charges nationwide were filed by men in 2007 • “Offensive” is in the eye of the beholder or the recipient of the behavior. If you make comments that you feel are not offensive and the recipient says they are…..then they are! • An estimated 71 percent of the workforce has experienced some form of workplace incivility in the past five years.

22. Examples of Sexual Harassment Incivilities and Behaviors Email, I-Phone, Internet Reality, pager messages, sexual objects, letters, phone calls, inappropriate sites displayed on computer, discussing sexual escapades or television explicit ads…… Unwanted touching, hugging, jokes, pinching,…leering, etc. Comments: “Hey Baby give me a smile,’ “You look like you are ready for bed in those hospital greens – I am ready for bed too” Unacceptable Music: - “ Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” Unwelcome and persistent requests for dates or sexual advances.

23. Hostile Working Environment • Must be sufficiently severe or pervasive to create an abusive work environment. • Does not refer to occasional compliments of a socially acceptable nature. • It can be based on martial status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or identity, personal appearance, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. • It does refer to behavior that is not welcome, which is personally offensive, that debilitates morale, and which interferes with work effectiveness.

24. Who Should Help Stop Workplace Incivilities? S- The Source of the Behavior - Stop the Harassing Behavior T - The Target of the Behavior -Tell the source to stop and/or report the behavior Express your feelings – Say it is unwelcome O- Any Observer of the Behavior -No such thing as an innocent bystander. P- Any Person in Authority -A Duty Exists

25. Cashing in on Generational DiversityFrom Culture Clash to Valuable Business AssetY Text Speak • Thx for the Iview! I Wud to Work 4 U!! ;) 1 out of every 10 thank you emails contain smiley faces sent to hiring managers. It is natural communication for this generation but probably not for X or Baby Boomers!

26. Four Generations At Work • Traditionalists (born 1922-1943) • Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960) • Generation X (born 1960-1980) • Millenials (born 1980-2000)

27. Generations at Work • The events and conditions each of us experience during our formative years help define who we are and how we view the world. • The generation we grow up in is just one of the influences on adult behavior.

28. Traditionalists: Hard work Dedication & sacrifice Respect for rules Duty before pleasure Honor Boomers: Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Involvement Personal growth Values

29. Xers: Diversity Techno literacy Fun and informality Self-reliance Pragmatism (Common Sense) Millenials: Optimistic Feel civic duty Confident Achievement oriented Respect for diversity Values

30. Generational Feedback • Traditionalists – “No news is good news.” • Boomers – “Feedback once a year and lots of documentation.” • Xers – “Sorry to interrupt but how am I doing?” • Millenials – “Feedback whenever I want it at the push of a button.”

31. Generational Interaction: An Example Traditionalists and Boomers may have a tendency not to question or challenge authority or the status quo. This may cause confusion and resentment among the Xers and Millenials who have been taught to speak up.

32. All Employees Remember This We all report to someone. Experts say it is good to remember that today’s managers have a lot of responsibilities; increasing revenue, keeping customers, i.e., patients or students happy, managing a diverse workforce that comprises four generations of people who are motivated and fulfilled differently based upon their culture. A little empathy for the boss can’t hurt. Maybe, just maybe the problem may be you!