I like working in an office where healthy debates are encouraged; where people can be honest with one another; and most of all, colleagues are courteous and polite to each other, even when they don't agree.
I'm not bringing this up and thinking of a particular person or action. Civility is just one of those topics that I think about. A former colleague of mine, Lynette Spicer, authors a blog on workplace civility. I subscribe to the RSS feed from her blog and will check out the different topics every once in a while.
Civility, respect, honesty, good manners...these are all things I was taught as a child. In this time of being hit with so much information all at once through social media, news, work, family and various entertainment channels, we may overlook the basic elements of civility: being courteous and polite. In fact, we see examples of civility violations every day: rude posts on news websites or social media sites; talking on cell phones in inappropriate places or in a loud voice; or checking email or texting in the midst of a conversation.
Being civil to one another makes for a healthier workplace. Let's make it a priority for our unit.
