Civility and the CIO

Dateline: July 17, 2015

Welcome to our Friday WRAP – one thought-provoking idea to think about over the weekend.

We spend lots of time with our workers, some of whom are a pleasure to work with, and others..well not so much.  Recently the New York Times published a thought provoking opinion from journalist Christine Porath titled No Time to be Nice at Work that explored this subject.  She writes,

Rudeness and bad behavior have all grown over the last decades, particularly at work. For nearly 20 years I’ve been studying, consulting and collaborating with organizations around the world to learn more about the costs of this incivility. How we treat one another at work matters. Insensitive interactions have a way of whittling away at people’s health, performance and souls.

As the CIO, we are the leader, and as a leader, we have power.  Portal suggests,

Power can force compliance. But insensitivity or disrespect often sabotages support in crucial situations. Employees may fail to share important information and withhold efforts or resources. Sooner or later, uncivil people sabotage their success — or at least their potential. Payback may come immediately or when they least expect it, and it may be intentional or unconscious….

Given the enormous cost of incivility, it should not be ignored. We all need to reconsider our behavior. You are always in front of some jury. In every interaction, you have a choice: Do you want to lift people up or hold them down?

How do you lead?  How do you use the power you have been given as the CIO?

That’s a WRAP!  Have a fantastic weekend.

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