Chances are you’ve met a leader who has made what might be a hurtful decision, then adopted the attitude that people shouldn’t take it personally because “it’s just business’’. It’s possible you’ve even been on the receiving end of such a statement; if you have, you probably understand how dismissive and disempowering it can be.
Every employer and client is bound by the same legal and moral obligation to provide a safe and healthy work environment in which personal rights are respected. What this means, essentially, is that employers are required to take reasonable steps to safeguard against not just physical injury but psychological injury too.
“Doing business” is never an acceptable reason to behave unethically or treat people poorly. Of course we can expect people to be emotionally intelligent and objective, but to expect that they will tolerate poor and unethical behaviour simply to further a business concern is unreasonable and unwise.
No one should have to endure being bullied, harassed, taken advantage of or ripped off at work, and one should never underestimate the devastating impact such behaviours can have on a person. Distress, anxiety and depression are just a few of the ways in which victims can be affected, with the typical consequences of poor concentration, indecision, and loss of confidence.
Yet people commonly get away with such destructive behaviours because leaders fail to recognise, let alone address the fact that they are indulging in them. Too often leaders accept or turn a blind eye to bullying, dishonesty and generally poor conduct; placing a high value on decency is essential if we are to create environments in which people can not only survive but thrive.
Standing up for what is fair and right starts with taking responsibility for our own health and wellbeing, as well as that of the people we work with. With that in mind, the standard of conduct to which we should hold ourselves and others becomes clear.
It’s astonishing how often destructive patterns of behaviour can be observed in today’s workplaces.
Behaviour of the types listed below should not be tolerated in an effective and healthy work environment.
- Abusive, insulting or offensive language
- Spreading of misinformation or malicious rumours
- Dishonesty and deceit
- Behaviour or language that frightens, humiliates, belittles or degrades (such as harsh criticism delivered by yelling and screaming, an aggressive tone of voice, sarcasm or insults)
- Inappropriate comments about a person’s appearance, lifestyle, or family
- Teasing or regularly making someone the brunt of pranks or practical jokes
- Physical assault or threats
None of these patterns of behaviour are acceptable, and none of them become acceptable because they occurred in the course of doing business. It’s simply not an excuse; there is always choice and we all need to exercise that choice to maintain high ethical standards in our work lives. It has become far too prevalent in some industries that employees should be expected to work in unsafe conditions, tolerate abuse when things go wrong, and use their sexuality to wins business and keep customers.
As a leader, it is vital to have strength and stand up to anyone who behaves inappropriately. Act with conviction and remember that there is no justification for destructive and unethical conduct regardless of which people are involved. Take a firm stance and speak with confidence when you ask people to take responsibility for the damaging impact their actions have on your team.
And understand too that if you ask someone to compromise ethical standards to create advantage for your business, it certainly is reasonable for them to take things personally.
