In August I presented my program Civility in the Workplace at the 12th Annual Carroll County Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Conference. I also participated in a panel discussion the same day on the future of HR, providing additional insights and strategies on civility to the leaders in attendance. In preparation, I reached out to colleagues regarding their take on civility in the workplace, and as I expected they had some brilliant things to say.

Here are three gems on the topic!

• Civility isn’t an initiative, it’s an outcome. It is the byproduct of leaders that are fiercely committed to continuous communication, training, coaching, and accountability around how people are expected to act, react, and interact.

• Civility is a C-Suite issue as much as an HR initiative! It directly impacts productivity and the bottom line.

• In addition to cultivating cultures of civility, I recommend that human resource staff partner directly with the leaders of the organization in order to address acts of incivility. In my work to eradicate bullying and incivility I see a huge disconnect between leaders and their HR partners.

One of the quotes that was repeated during the SHRM presentation is what we tolerate becomes the culture of the organization. Civility is one of the many ways that leaders must hold themselves and their employees accountable.

Stayed tuned for future blogs with more wisdom on civility in the workplace. Please send me your own thoughts and suggestions!