Some Subtle Signs of Incivility

Incivility isn’t always easily identified, especially when it isn’t accompanied by blatant rudeness or hostility. Many people have become inured to incivility, only later feeling the hurtful effects of colleagues’ transgressions.

Here are some of the more insidious examples of workplace incivility listed by Christine Pearson and Christine Porath in their 2009 book, The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It.

• Checking e-mail or texting messages during a meeting
• Belittling others’ efforts
• Leaving snippy voice mail messages
• Leaving a mess for others to clean up
• Shutting someone out of a network or team
• Acting irritated when someone asks for a favor
• Taking resources that someone else needs
• Not listening

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