Technology and Civility in the Workplace

By Pamela J. Gallagher

From cancel culture and trolling to cyberbullying and echo chambers, the norms of online communication have impacted our ability to extend basic respect to one another, not just online, but in our in-person communications as well.

Social norms are different online, where bluntness and sarcasm are more common and often go without any real social repercussions. Being able to hide behind a screen has emboldened us to speak our minds and criticize others in ways that would be unimaginable in person. And yet the quickness to judgement and lack of empathy that digital communication fosters also impacts the workplace, where both online and face-to-face communication is necessary to accomplish shared goals.

Offering people meaningful work toward a common purpose is an important piece of honoring each person’s inherent dignity. But that meaningful work must be coupled with a workplace that values and requires a spirit of civility between colleagues. With online social norms deforming our communication skills, we as leaders must be intentional in the ways we manage our teams and demonstrate and expect civility toward every person we lead if we are to create a culture of respect in our workplaces.

Here are a few mindsets and strategies that I have found effective in reclaiming civility in the workplace:

Learn from younger generations.

Those just now entering the workforce are often criticized for their reliance on digital communication and lack of face-to-face communication skills. But any workplace that hopes to reverse online trends toward harshness and experience civility among colleagues must be able to show respect and appreciate the distinctive perspectives of each person. The younger generations have unique contributions to make to improve the organizations they are part of. Seasoned professionals can always learn something from those newer to the field.

Many younger people have developed stronger digital communication skills—like managing team group chats, navigating online communities, and expressing both message and tone clearly through email—than their older counterparts, skills that are essential in the modern work environment. Additionally, many young professionals are very aware of the interplay of mental health and emotional intelligence with job satisfaction. The social skills of those new to the workplace may look different from past generations, but choosing to interact with others as though you have something to learn from them will do wonders to promote a culture of civility in a workplace.

Reclaim the “niceties.”

Some may argue in our fast-paced world that interpersonal pleasantries are just slowing us down and distracting us from the real work. I disagree. The ability to be more than a machine that produces maximum results with maximum efficiency at all times is one of the benefits of being a person. To see civility re-emerge in our workplaces, we need to be more human, not less. The “Be Kind” movement of recent years is more than a passing fad or a cute slogan. It’s a call to reclaim our humanity and choose to build new habits and ingrain new behaviors centered around care for the people around us, not the quickest route from A to B.

Ditch the assumptions.

Online communication is notorious for getting the message across but in a tone that doesn’t match the sender’s intent. Even selecting the wrong punctuation mark can obscure the meaning of a message! To promote civility in our workplace, we must focus on real meanings rather than making assumptions. We need to increase dialogue. If you are confused about what was meant by a message that seemed charged in some way in your perception, ask the sender and inquire about feelings and perceptions. We must make a regular practice of verifying and validating understanding when communicating, not only digitally, but also face-to-face. Let’s make civility not just an idea or pipe dream, but a lasting, lived reality.