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Civility, generosity, kindness, and respect for people are recognized to bring many benefits. Yet, in the modern world some might consider civility an out-of-date formality, others think of it as hypocritical obsequiousness, and still others as a neurotic desire to be pleasant to all immediately. Although some people may deny it, civility can become that mighty and good force which helps a person “to govern the world”.

It can be very difficult to develop and support the ability to empathize and show civility in communication, because the benefit is not always obvious. However, these efforts, are so important that they cannot be overestimated. Civility and empathy enhance a person’s self-image, make him or her pleasant for people around, and help improve the relationship in the workplace and at home. . Many psychologists consider that the mankind could not have survived without these qualities (Brooks). So, it is deemed useful to be a benevolent, civil, and kind person. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid people starting to use it for their own purposes.

It is not necessary to look for special cases and dates to tell a colleague or a subordinate how you appreciate them and value their contribution to the business development. The words of civility are important to be told as often as it is possible. As a matter of fact, constant pleasant surprises and words telling people around how you appreciate them will help make them feel always demanded and necessary. Indeed, a warm and pleasant feeling may be noticed inside after one has called a sick colleague and inquired him/her about health. The matter is that even small courtesies can improve a person’s mood. Civility is “infectious”. If you smile to a colleague going along the corridor to a casual meeting, you, by all means, will see a reciprocal smile. Showing goodwill in relation to other people, you create a positive microclimate round yourself.

Having got job, people should understand that they will spend in the workplace not less than five days a week of seven. Therefore, it is very important to develop a positive atmosphere there since labor productivity depends much on it.

Staying in one room with other people will demand tolerance and tactfulness in relation to tendencies and features of the staff. In relation to this, it is important to remember that each person is individual, and it is necessary to be respectful to everyone.

It often happens that people who have gathered in the workplace differ by interests and habits. For instance, if for one person it is always hot and stuffy, so that he/she opens the window, for another person it is cold , so that he/she may want to close it; someone is too talkative is constantly talking on the phone and so on.

It is not necessary to pay great attention to these things, it is necessary to learn to treat this sort of actions quietly and philosophically. You should be polite with all, even with those employees who obviously cause antipathy in you. Your civility and good manners will help you avoid possible conflicts with people you dislike.

Those, who work behind partitions or share one office, are always in sight, so it makes a false impression that they should be available to other colleagues or visitors at any time. Actually, it is not like this. Despite noise and cram in the office, each of the employees working there has a right to inviolability in the workplace and disposal of their working hours in interests of business. Any workplace occupied by an employee in an office is just the same sovereign territory as an office of the high-ranking chief.

It will occur to nobody to break into someone’s office without knocking or without asking. So, before addressing to the employee sitting behind the partition, it is also necessary to ask permissions whether it is possible to enter. During the whole working day, people, constantly being in one room and communicating with each other all the time, cannot observe these norms all the time. However, for those who came outside or arrived unexpectedly, it is necessary to ask permissions to enter.

People who are civil and kind on their workplace find it easier to build the relationships with colleagues, and even to achieve the decisions necessary to them. Therefore, civility is also important for career growth. People who are benevolent have higher resistance to stresses and depression. This is due to the fact that people save an enormous quantity of internal energy at the expense of such attitude.

However, it often occurs in life that civil people often feel used and restrained. This happens because showing goodwill they do not expect the same in exchange. If you still expect it, you should declare it openly, without hiding your interests. This way you will avoid mercenary insincerity. Besides, your self-esteem will not suffer.

A real civility does not demand payment. The person, who is courteous sincerely, receives pleasure from it, without hoping that people will thank him/her for goodwill. Kindness usually comes back to people but with other people and in other situations. As a result, people receive from the world what they introduce in it.

Every day people communicate with their colleagues, business partners, and bosses in the workplace. They often use “magic” words of politeness in relation to them. People cannot go along without these words.

However, there are cases when people express their gratitude or apologize incorrectly. For this reason, there are some basic rules of civility in the collective.

Civility is “like a jewel” (Hughes). All rules of civility say: having received help, you should always say “thanks”; if you want to excuse , you begin it with an apology word. By the way, beginning your speech with a word “excuse” does not always say that you were guilty. This is simply one of the rules of civility which says that you are a polite person. The address to a colleague in the workplace can sometimes cause a distraction from this or that work — and that is the reason for an apology. There is still a set of situations for an apology when it is impossible to manage without this word: delay for work (the reason for an apology), putting off or cancelling an important meeting or failing to advance in accordance with the work plan and by its deadline.

Certainly, the words of gratitude or apology are examples of simple human politeness and an expression of respect for the colleagues. The use of these words along with a pleasant smile ensures one will form a positive image in the workplace and will be treated positively by colleagues.

Although in most cases these “magic” words help, there are situations when they do not. In a word, sometimes it is hard to find proper words to correct the situation in the workplace. Specifically, there are many examples of the working conflicts: you squabbled with an important business partner (thus having broken the deal), negotiations did not take place through your fault, and so on. The best decision in this situation, as the main canons of ethics say, is a letter-of-excuse with an explanation why what you did was not right. This will bring direct apologies to the addressee. After sending such a letter, it is necessary to call the recipient and take an interest whether he or she has received it and how they respond to it. The requirements for such a letter are using the letterhead and the existence of the chief’s signature near yours. The letter-of-excuse can be printed or handwritten.

One more principle of the rules of civility in the workplace is not to use excessively such words as “excuse” and “thanks”. There should be a measure in everything. For example, if you address a colleague who is directly connected with the project that you do, it is not preferable to begin each conversation with the words “Excuse me for troubling you”¦”. In communication with colleagues, the beginning of the address like this can be avoided safely because you communicate with this person on a common business. The most important thing about this is that everything occurs in working hours.

On the contrary, if you make a call or plan to visit a colleague home out of the working day, you cannot manage without an apology, even if your call or your visit is connected with a very serious problem. In the working hours, your colleague is simply obliged to listen to you, to help you or to answer your questions, and the same applies to you in relation to your colleagues. As they say, “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours, especially if this is the hand of the necessary colleague”. To avoid basic working duties and to ignore a request is the biggest disrespect for the person with whom you work. It is always necessary to remember it. It is advisable to thank the companion for assistance in hard work, too.

Another example of excessive use of apologies is the usual sneezing in the workplace. You sneezed, you excused, your colleagues wished health to you, you thanked. Everything is good, except for the thing that your apology is not pertinent. Not only did you sneeze, but you also distracted all from work by your own words. However, in reality your sneezing brought discomfort only to you. Since childhood you have been told that the rules of etiquette include an obligatory “be healthy” after someone has sneezed. This rule was introduced by your grandmothers and mothers. I think this myth should be a little destroyed by an argument that a delicate person in this case should pretend that he/she did not hear anything at all, which will help avoid making the sneezing person confused. For example, if at some important meeting twenty people begin to tell a chaotic wish of health because of a person’s usual sneeze, this will result in a mess. In addition, if you want to sneeze, you should do it as silently as it is possible.

The habit to use words of civility in the workplace too much can distract many colleagues from developing correct thoughts connected with work. For example, some colleague is concentrated on the serious and urgent project or on drawing up documents, and another colleague takes his/her marker, a sharpener, a pencil, or a pen. Having put it on the table, he/she says “thanks”, which distracts the workmate from the necessary thought or idea. Instead, it would be better to put the thing silently on the table, without distracting the colleague. Here is the paradox that before telling elementary words of civility, it is better to pay attention to the situation and to decide if it is necessary to do it, especially if it concerns people with whom you work. If you follow these rules of ethics in the workplace, which seem to be normal for some people, it will help you to create an image of an intelligent person.

The expression of gratitude and civility to the employees never happens superfluous. Actually, it is insufficient in many organizations. One should strive to make the workplace an exception to this sad rule and use any possibility to express civility to employees. Knowledge of rules of civility and business etiquette means being able to greet others and talk to people correctly, validly, with respect for the right of other employees to inviolability of their workplace and confidentiality of personal and office information, as well as being able to resolve conflict situations, exchange gifts, behave properly at corporate parties, and other business activities. Each working day will inevitably become lighter and more joyful, if all people working together, from a secretary at a reception desk to a top manager, will show mutual respect and care about each other.

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