Recognition: An Antidote to Incivility and Bullying

Jun 15, 2022

Think about the first time you were bullied at work.
Now think about the next time.

Now think about the first time you were treated with incivility.
Now think about the next time.

We all have this in our past. You may have this in your present. Do you want to make it less likely than your future?

Create a culture that is so full of recognition and appreciation that incivility can’t survive.

We sometimes make the mistake of thinking about toxic cultures like they are a virus. Wrong metaphor. Viruses need time to go away. They make you feel rotten for a while, and then antibodies kick in, and you slowly start to feel more yourself.

Have you ever described the resolution of bullying in this way?

Toxic workplaces are actually like a bacterial infection. We can study it. We can isolate it. We can treat it. It’s best to blast it early. It’s best not to let it keep coming back, or else the effectiveness of the treatment will wear off. Treat it early and treat it seriously. So what’s the antibiotic for the early signs of an incivility infection?

Recognition, not incivility.

Make your workplace culture a hostile host to bullying behaviours. Bullying cannot survive, grow and creep into other parts of our work if we dose it with support, if we stifle it with hope, if we nurture it with positivity, if we stifle it with recognition.

Recognition is a powerful antidote, yet, just like your generic antibiotic, it’s so commonplace it doesn’t really seem that sexy, that effective, that revolutionary. However, as easy as it is to prescribe recognition, do we up the dose and fast at the easiest sign of a strain and struggle? Some of you do recognize rockstar staff, leaders, teams and organizations.

Don’t underestimate how quickly you and others can feel better with a healthy dose of appreciation.

Look here for more scrumptious ideas on creating recognition for your team:

• How to Send a LinkedIn Kudos: A 2-Minute Recognition Tip
• 3 Reasons Recognition Will Stop Your Turnover Crisis
• Learn to Stop Bullying and Incivility in the Workplace: Expert Interview with Renee Thompson

P.S. My good friend Renee Thompson has a course that could be helpful if bullying is out of control where you work. Check it out here.