The workplace etiquette debate goes live – internal communications in the digital era

Workplace etiquette has been a trending topic in Australia this week as a result of a leaked staff bulletin from BHP Billiton and I had a chance to air my viewpoint on Channel 7’s The Morning Show. Pitted against Anna Musson from GoodManners.com.au, the intent was to have a TV debate on the virtue of workplace etiquette rules.

Live TV is a difficult forum to cover a complicated subject, but it has been interesting to see how quickly this matter has polarised viewpoints on how far an employer should go in dictating workplace practices.

I look at this issue from both a HR and communications perspective.

Whilst I totally understand the desire within large organisations to promote acceptable standards of behaviour, I also think it’s important for employers to have a clear focus on the culture it wishes to build and an understanding of the most effective communication approach to motivate appropriate behaviour. In an era dominated by social media there is no such thing as internal communications anymore and so careful consideration is needed on the reputation impact any workplace initiative will have not only with internal audiences, but also with prospective employees, customers and investors.

My three suggestions for any organisations wishing to impact on workplace behaviour would be to consider:

-          What is the most effective way to engage employees in a discussion about creating a respectful and collaborative workplace that ensures everyone is comfortable and able to perform effectively?

-          What will be the impact on employee motivation and productivity from this initiative?

-          How will external stakeholders respond, and what is the likely impact on reputation both internally and externally?

The evidence shows that employee engagement is at its strongest when there are high levels of trust throughout the organisation and employees feel respected and valued for their contribution.

I would encourage all employers to engage employees by uniting teams around sound corporate values and shared goals. If an organisation can orient itself around a culture of respect, open communication and collaboration then rules or guidelines can become redundant. I also think it is important to empower people through positive communication that gives everyone a sense of their contribution to the overall success of the business.

For any new initiatives it can be more effective if employees are involved early in the and able to contribute to the overall direction being taken. Early involvement will secure early buy-in. I use the concept of ‘slowly, slowly – fast’. Which means that if you involve employees early in the planning cycle then it will take longer initially to get traction, but the ultimate buy-in is much faster. If people feel that an approach is being forced upon them then their natural reaction may be to resist, push-back or, potentially rebel.

At the end of the day we are talking about individuals and in my experience respecting people’s viewpoints and allowing them to be true to themselves gives them the chance to be the best they can be and to have fun doing so. Besides, I have an awfully untidy desk that would break many office etiquette rules, but as far as I know it hasn’t stopped me from focusing on our business goals or generating value to the company.