Incivility in the Workplace

Have you ever wondered how your thoughtfulness, compassion, and Big Hearted Leadership affect your environment and not just the feelings but also the productivity of those around you? Watch as Christine Porath explains the research to support how behaving civilly and reaching out to others makes such a tremendous difference in the workplace, and how this kind of positive shift impacts productivity. Whether your industry is healthcare, retail, education, or any other industry in which you come into contact with humans (*hint, pretty much every single one of us), you might be surprised how much of an impact you can have just by being mindful and thoughtful in your interactions.

Within her talk Christine explores the question of what people want most from their leaders: “We took data from over 20,000 employees around the world, and we found the answer was simple: respect. Being treated with respect was more important than recognition and appreciation, useful feedback, even opportunities for learning. Those that felt respected were healthier, more focused, more likely to stay with their organization and far more engaged.”

Conceptually, this could not be more aligned with my philosophy on leadership as expressed throughout Big Hearted Leadership, but particularly in the second chapter entitled “Be ‘Here’ and ‘With.'” I firmly believe in wholeheartedly showing care and compassion in my interactions with those around me, and I have experienced the contagious nature of this mindset and witnessed the positive results it yields. Whether it is a smile, a pat on the back, a handshake, or some other sincere display of compassion, quite simply, this personal touch promotes psychological well-being and the results of this across all aspects of life are immeasurable.

Together, let’s harness this power and collectively improve the mindset, productivity, happiness, and well-being of members of our organizations and our communities.