Catherine Mattice's Blog, page 42

Create Civility in 2014 on Social Media

An Effort to Create Civility

I have written posts about incivility and rude behavior that is prevalent in the workforce. This year, I have come up with 5 things you can do to create civility on the different social media platforms.

Avoid Uploading Potentially Explosive Photos

The power of an emotional image is that it can contribute to a misunderstanding. People can interpret things differently due to the lack of context. In order to prevent a powder keg effect, think carefully about images you upload onto social media.

Avoid Judgments of Tone

Sometimes, it’s too easy to judge the tone of one’s voice on social network. What the person intended to write may not be the same way you read it as. As they say, most communications are nonverbal. Try speaking to the person and hear it in its intended tone. It may be completely different from the tone you imagined it first to be.

Avoid Talking to Trolls

Trolls are people who feel unheard and make a continuous attempt to gain respect from people. They create enemies in efforts to gain friends and respect. Don’t become their next target.

Take It Offline

It might be a good idea to send a private message or call the person to clarify an issue than posting it to their social media page where everyone can see it. Although you may disagree with someone, sending a private message can show that you still respect the mutual online relationship enough that you would send them a private message.

Help Others

If you spend your time online helping others and giving to the community, the people will more likely come to your defense when you are in trouble. They will also be more forgiving and give you the benefit of the doubt during a misunderstanding that happened on social media.

No matter how incivility exists today, we can all strive to create civility in 2014. Do you have any other things that can help foster a civil online community?

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Incivility at Trader Joe’s

Example of Incivility at Trader Joe’s

I have come across an article that explains an example of incivility displayed at Trader Joe’s.

“I said that we all know that the job that the man at the checkout counter was doing can now be done by a machine. But until he is replaced by a machine, I think he should be treated as a person, with all the rights of a person. And that includes a bit of human exchange, since that is clearly what makes his job tolerable for him, makes him feel that in his job, this job that could be done by a machine, he is still a human being.”

It isn’t the fault of an individual, but society as a whole. As people become accustomed to incivility, it will be regarded as the new norm. This article clearly defines a problem that needs to be addressed – the need to treat people with more respect. It all boils down to the golden rule: “Treat others as you wish to be treated.” Perhaps then, experiencing such empathy will create a better atmosphere for everyone.

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America’s Worst Bosses in 2013

America’s Worst Bosses

According to eBossWatch, the 2013 America’s worst bosses have costed their company over $52 million dollars in lawsuit settlements. This year, California is named the state with the highest number of bad bosses. Let’s take a look at the top 5 worst bosses.

Bob Filner (San Diego, California)

Bob Filner is the mayor of San Diego. He has been accused of sexual harassment and misconduct in the office by three women. Although Filner has issued an apology, he has not indicated that he will be resigning.

Derek May (Largo, Florida)

Derek May was the general manager of Four Amigos Travel and Top Dog Travel, a high volume telemarketer for vacation packages in Florida. There was a sexual harassment case that gave out $20 million to eight former employees of Four Amigos Travel and Top Dog Travel.

Raphael Olivo (Rikers Island, New York)

The city of New York paid $600,000 to four female correction officers in order to settle their sexual harassment lawsuit by their male superiors. Raphael Olivo was a deputy warren at Rikers Island’s New York City Department of Correction.

Fred Fuller (Hudson, New Hampshire)

The EEOC has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Fred Fuller Oil Company. This is the second time Fred Fuller is being sued and he agreed to pay $780,000 to five women to his earlier lawsuit settlement.  The EEOC has even stated that Fred Fuller has engaged in almost every possible form of sexual harassment, short of rape.

Maurice Wightman (Syracuse, New York)

The Simmons Institute of Funeral Service has agreed to pay $30,000 in order to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit. The school’s president, Maurice Wightman, had subjected female students to sexual harassment while discriminating against pregnancy.

Although this is only the first five from the list, eBossWatch has a list of the top 50 worst bosses in America.

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Workplace Bullying: Psychology Today

Workplace Bullying

When we think of bullying and the workplace, what is the picture that comes to mind? I was interviewed by Psychology Today back in July regarding my thoughts on workplace bullying.

“Bullying is systematic abuse that creates an unhealthy and psychological power imbalance between the bully and his or her target, which can result in psychological damage for both the target and co-workers.  The potential costs, both emotional and monetary, can really damage an organization’s bottom line.  Bullying causes targets and co-workers to feel anxious, depressed, fearful, lose sleep, develop headaches and stomachaches, create self-doubt and anger, and even post-traumatic stress disorder according to a lot of recent research.”

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Is Rude Behavior The New Norm?

Rude Behavior In America

Signs of civility in America continue to decay as rude behavior is prevalent and perhaps becoming the “new norm.” I came across an interesting survey conducted by KRC Research.

Of the Americans that were surveyed, 95% believe that there is a civility problem in America. The shocking thing is that 70% think that the internet encourages uncivil behavior.

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Rude People: How To Work Things Out

Rude People

It’s easy to say that when you encounter a rude person, you are able to shed them away. This, unfortunately, isn’t always an available option.

If you have rude a rude co-worker, boss, or even a customer, you may not have the luxury of making a choice. You may have the option to simply not worth with that person, but the decision might jeopardize your credentials and your job.

Learning To Deal With Rude People

You are a good person and you deserve better. With that said, what is fair and what is not? I’m sure everyone would like the ideal office environment where everyone treats each other with respect, but that’s just not how things are. You cannot expect everyone to be like you. For every rude person you meet, there will probably be thousands of other rude people just like that person.

People sometimes quit their jobs when they are faced with a rude manage or rude co-workers. What happens when they run into the same situation at their next job? It will turn them into serial job hoppers continuously trying to find their ideal work environment.

Rude people are very real and the situation doesn’t seem like it will be fixed anytime soon. With that, here are our best tips on dealing with rude people.

Don’t Lose Your Temper

Don’t lose your cool when dealing with a person because it might even dent your own image. You will also be more likely to say something you might regret later on. Emotional outrage will result in saying the wrong things.

Even if you are really angry, get a hold of the anger. Even if you can vent it out later with your friends after work, don’t vent out in front of the person. Continue to hold up a professional image and it will show that you can handle stress well.

Don’t Expect The Behavior To Change

Some people just act like this. Perhaps they don’t even realize that they are being rude. Other times, they might be aware, but they enjoy bossing people around.

One thing to learn is that you cannot change others. You may change your own actions, which may alter the rude person’s behavior, but don’t change your actions expecting such results.

Try To Understand Why The Person Is Rude

Sometimes a person is specifically rude to you. If this is the case, there must be a reason driving this behavior whether it is conscious or subconscious. Why is the person only treating you like this? If you understand the reasoning behind the behavior, it could very well help you in future encounters with similar people.

 Keep Your Dignity

Regardless of what a rude person might say to you, you should never let the person make you feel any lesser about yourself. You should not lower your worth or self-depreciate in the office environment. Stick up to your beliefs and values.

If the person attempts to cross on your boundaries, go ahead and confront them. No matter how important the job or customer, there is nothing more valuable than your integrity. You need to honor that for yourself.

Talk With People That Can Help

Even if you are going through a tough time at work, it doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone. Look for people that can help you.  Talking with others can give you additional perspectives that you might not have seen. Some people that could help you out are:

Family and Friends
Managers
Senior Managers
Team Members
Co-Workers

Reflection Is Important

Sometimes, life echoes how we treated others. Instead of feeling bothered that rude people aren’t treating you well, think about times when you’ve been rude in your life. It’s good to reflect upon our own behaviors rather than pointing fingers at others.

As the Golden Rule states, treat others the way you want to be treated.

 

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Workplace Bullying Lessons From The Miami Dolphin

Workplace Bullying Lessons

If you have read my previous blog post, there might have been some confusion about the difference between workplace bullying and harassment. So,what is the difference between workplace bullying and harassment? Are they the same thing? The focus seems to be on the Miami Dolphins and the football locker room culture in general. See where the lines can be drawn in my recent guest blog post at Impact Publishing.

Lesson 1. Workplace bullying and harassment are not the same thing. I’m not sure how or why this situation has sparked a lot of conversation around workplace bullying, or why the media keeps calling Incognito a bully. Actually, Incognito is a better poster-child for workplace harassment.

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Danger Of Workplace Bullying – Looking At The Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins: What Happened?

The NFL locker room has long been considered a type of fraternity. Some of the things done, said and tolerated in the 32 locker rooms around the league would be completely unacceptable in any other workplace across the United States. Because of this, it is no surprise that a player is finally rejecting the widely accepted culture of the NFL. Jonathan Martin, a second year offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins, took a leave of absence last week, citing personal reasons. No one really gave it much attention. However, news broke that these personal reasons were actually linked to bullying by a few of his teammates.

Fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito has been identified as the main culprit in the case and was suspended indefinitely, after an abusive voicemail sent to Martin by Incognito leaked to the public. In the voicemail, Incognito threatens Martin’s life, spews vulgar insults and makes racist remarks. But this is the NFL, and such behavior is not typically uncommon.

Martin’s coaches and teammates had no idea what Martin was going through, which means that Martin felt that he could not voice his concerns to the people that were responsible for creating the environment. This is what Martin blames the most for his emotional distress. In recent days, Martin has said that he does not blame his teammates for the abuse that he endured, rather the culture of the NFL and the environment that was created in that Miami Dolphins locker room.

It is no surprise that several Dolphins players have come to Incognito’s defense. In their eyes, nothing out of the ordinary had been done wrong because it was in the context of an NFL locker room. That’s just the way it is. And that is exactly the problem.

Danger Of Workplace Bullying

So what’s the difference between harassment and workplace bullying? The answer is in the law. Workplace bullying and harassment are the same thing – both are meant to gain power over another person and make their work environment entirely uncomfortable. The content of the behaviors, however, is what makes all the legal difference: harassment is about protected classes, and workplace bullying is about equal opportunity.

Incognito was sending texts with racial slurs according to all of the media reports, so the racial slurs make the texts harassment and against federal law. If Incognito was sending nasty texts that did not include anything about gender, race or disability then the texts are workplace bullying, and perfectly legal.

Catherine Mattice speaks on The Washington Times regarding the danger of workplace bullying.

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Employee Satisfaction & The Workplace

Measuring Employee Satisfaction

 

Every good manager knows that a happy employee is a loyal and productive employee. The attitude of your employees can most likely reflect the moral of the company. Satisfaction; however, is not linked only to compensation. A raise and benefits will definitely improve your employee’s contentment, but it may only be temporary. It is the small things that can have a longer lasting effect.

Give Employees Options

Happiness is when a person feels like they have control over their life. Giving your employees the option to be more flexible with their schedule can improve employee satisfaction. For example, employers can offer flexible work schedules and even telecommuting. A customized schedule is a great way to get your employees more content with their job.

The Stress of Commuting

The U.S. Census Bureau stated that 86.5% of employees drive to work, whether it be driving alone or carpooling. Commuting stress can definitely impact one’s mentality. Having to drive during the rush-hour traffic can be very frustrating. To top it off, your employee arrives late and he or she is reprimanded severely. Imagine how the rest of their day would unravel.

One solution to this could be to have staggering work times so your employees can arrive after the heavy traffic. Having flexible time schedules can definitely take off a lot of stress and keep your employees loving where they work.

Social Interactions

People are sociable beings and interacting with others can give a boost in mood. Employers should encourage social events such as holidays and birthdays. These social events and celebrations do not need to be expensive. It’s the very act of celebrating and eating together that brings up employee satisfaction. Provide your employees with an area they can eat together.

Socializing should not stop after office hours. Organize a volunteer program where your team can work together while promoting a positive company image. Community service is one of the great ways to boost your employee’s satisfaction while benefiting the company.

Break Up The Routines

Surprises can add a spark to your life – even in the workplace. Surprise your employees with something as small as a treat, occasionally, and people will get a sense of appreciation. It’s a small gesture, but it shows you appreciate their time and efforts they put into the company.

There are many disgruntled employees complaining about the company they work for. Be the best employer you can be and prove that your workplace has the happiest employees. This extra step might even lead to a better business.

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Cyber-Bulling: The Latest Weapon of the Workplace Bully

Cyber-Bullying and the Workplace

 

Social media has become a popular platform for bullying and harassment to occur. Unfortunately, the truth is that cyber-bullying is easier than traditional bullying. People who cyber-bully have anonymity, being able to hide their face.

To make problems worse, Facebook posts and Tweets are permanent and can reach  a wide audience causing big drama. What does all this have to do with your workplace? Cyber-bullying among your employees can result to a Title VII claim against your business if they aren’t dealt with. It can wreak havoc in your workplace and disturb the working atmosphere.

Bullying does not exist only on playgrounds and schools. It carries well over to adulthood and is present in the workplace. About thirty-five percent of adults in the United States reported for workplace bullying. This is a staggering number — about 54 million workers.

Tips to Prevent Cyber-Bullying

The first step is to recognize the situation. Cyber-bullying is online harassment. It is critical that you do not associate or respond to the person. Engaging with a bully will only make matters worse.
Make a copy of all the threatening messages and photos the bully sends. The easiest way to do this is to take a screenshot of the webpage at where the issue is occurring.
Contact and notify the website operator of that page via phone and email. Explain that you are filing a police report with your local police department and insist that the content be taken down immediately.
Not all police departments have “internet crime divisions” so unless the person has threatened your life, they may not be able to get involved.

Although these tips are for the individual, your company can use these guidelines to help individuals that are victims of cyber-bullying. In the end, the lawsuit may fall on you for not taking actions and creating a safe working environment for your employees.

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