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Ausama: Good day to you, and thank you for taking the time to listen to this fine podcast. My name is Ausama Alsousi.

Ben: And I am Ben Po. And we are managers with the Office of Values and Ethics, or as we like to call ourselves the OVE.

Ausama: As a part of our Aspire initiative, today's topic will be one we were taught very very early in life and that always remains relevant-Civility. Before we begin our conversation on Civility, I wanted to start by saying that nothing that you will hear on today's podcast will be new. None of it. That's not to say that you will not learn anything, to the contrarily. We will be sharing with you some very important definitions, quotes and best practices on Civility and Respect in the Workplace. But, this information will not be foreign to you, and that's because you will realize throughout the course of this show that everyone was taught about Civility and Respect at a very very early age. However, we sometimes forget being civil, or classify civility as something that is touchy-feely, and not important. What we hope you realize by the end of our discussion today is that civility is more than important. In fact, it's everything. Cue ominous Saturday morning cartoon villain music. If you think that you're a certified bonefied expert on civility after listening to this podcast, please take the time to fill out our true or false quiz on our IService page after the show or before the show for those who feel like living dangerously.

Ausama: Ok, let's get to the heart of the matter. Ben, what does civility mean to you?

Ben: Wow. That was a very powerful question. And I'll give it my best shot. Civility to me is about investing time and energy in knowing your colleagues and environment, and then adjusting your behaviour accordingly. Part of the definition can also come from the definition of uncivilized; which refers to a demonstrated lack of concern for the wellbeing of other people, or for the proper way to behave towards others.

Ausama: I agree with you on that! So much about civility as with anything else is about communication, and how important it is to know and respect your colleagues. Before we continue on that thought though, let's hear a word from our sponsors. Kidding, of course- there are no sponsors.

Ben: Well, I'm glad you're kidding because we could have inadvertently breached 3 and a half values if we had a segment on sponsors. Not to mention that a sense of humour might not be universally present in the service.

Ausama: All jokes aside, you are our sponsors. Anyone listening to our podcast is our sponsor, and without any say in the matter our friend. Ok, we're getting off topic here. Let's get back on topic. I wanted to share a few key definitions with everyone listening before continuing on this topic. While you've heard mine and Ben's take on Civility, we cannot begin discussing this topic in any depth until we talk about Respect. Now Respect is a big word, and it means different things to different people. But we're going to try to give you a definition of Respect that we believe encompasses the meaning of it within the workplace. Does everyone remember what we were taught when we were young, the "golden rule"? The golden rule was to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Well, us here at the OVE have a news flash for you. The golden rule is our, and the platinum rule is in. It's here to take its place. What is the platinum rule you may ask? The platinum rule is to treat others the way they want to be treated. Now this rule is a little bit harder to use because if you're going to treat others the way they want to be treated you have to do one thing. Communicate. Get to know your colleagues. Share ideas. Discuss respect. Invest in professional relationships. It is only then that we can truly know each other's boundaries and respect them. That is the meaning of Respect.

Ben: I think giving a hypothetical example here will help clarify the platinum rule and its application. Let's say Ausama and I work on the same team and someone is not a morning person. I barely roll out of bed. Hate the thought of brushing my teeth and keep to myself until I've had a coffee. Or like four. But Ausama here- works on my team and is a morning person. He gets out of bed, ahead of his toddlers, waters the lawn at 5am, and is anxious to start the day.

Ausama: Guilty!

Ben: Yes, we know. Anyhow, if Ausama wanted to apply the platinum rule, which he totally should all the time, he should know to take it easy on me first thing in the morning since he knows I'm not a morning person. Ausama should treat me the way that I want to be treated- as in not sending me 27 emails before 9am, coming by my office for long conversations first thing in the morning, or asking me what time I watered my lawn this morning. Ausama should understand how I want to be treated and adjust his behaviour accordingly- within reason, of course.

Ausama: On the same topic, we should really talk about the standard for a respectful workplace that was given by the Clerk of the Privy Council in his 23rd annual report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada. The Clerk said: To do their best for Canadians, public servants need to work in a healthy environment that is characterized by respect that embraces differences and diversity, and that supports with compassion, individuals struggling with mental health challenges. There are a lot of key words in that definition. Healthy environment, respect, diversity, differences, compassion, and mental health. To be clear with this definition, the clerk is giving the standard they have for how every workplace should be characterized within the Public Service.

Ben: In fact, it is only by striving to create and maintain this respectful workplace that we can truly create a healthy and positive organizational culture. The word organizational culture is all the buzz within the workplace. And we believe it is important to define this phenomenon. Organizational culture can be defined as a jointly shared description, often of an organization from within. It is the sum of values and rituals which serve and bind members of the organization and help them integrate.

Ausama: Could we get that definition in English please, Ben?

Ben: Essentially, the workplace culture is a set of lived experiences in the workplace. The explicit and implicit processes beliefs, attitudes, assumptions and social norms of employees, which influence their actions and decisions. In other words, organizational culture is the rules in the sandbox. Growing up, we had rules in the sandbox like "don't eat the sand", "don't throw the sand", "don't put the sand down your pants". Think of those rules, but for the workplace. They tell us what we can, cannot, should, and should not do. And often times in the workplace, these rules are unwritten! This is similar to how constitutional conventions are unwritten, yet have a major impact on the business of parliament. In our mandate in the OVE is to foster and promote a healthy workplace culture based on the values of the public sector.

Ausama: Okay. Now that we have successfully defined civility, respect, and a respectful workplace, let's talk about what you can do to maintain, foster, or create a civil workplace. First thing- be curious about the perspectives of others. Approach situations with the intention or objective to learn and understand. Also, take a step away from the situation and look at it from a different angle. Number 2: play fair. Be willing to consider other views even if you know you are right. Learn to be wrong on occasion, and never hesitate to apologize if you know you have hurt someone through your actions, words, and deeds. Be mindful. Be a better listener. Look for non-verbal cues that your colleagues or clients are giving you. And finally, try to be aware of the impact of your behaviour on others. That last one is not easy, but it is an excellent self-awareness skill for both the workplace and your personal like. And 4: nurture civility. Build and invest professional work relationships. Reinforce expectations of civility for new team members and always take immediate action to address potentially uncivil behaviour or action.

Ben: Remember at the beginning of the Podcast when we said that nothing we will say here today is new? That's because, as Ausama mentioned, we have been taught these lessons from a very early age through perhaps a different format. In preschool, daycare, and kindergarten we were taught: 1: to share. Share everything- your ideas, conversations, and also when you feel uncomfortable with an action, comment or behaviour. 2: to play fair. Avoid rushing into judgement. And for managers and leaders, here's a special message for you. If you hear something unflattering about someone, always give that individual a chance to explain and/or to defend themselves. Always respect the rules in the sandbox. Don't take credit for other people's work and be honest. 3: To put things back where you found them. If you borrow something from someone give it back. This isn't just talking about office equipment. Show your gratitude for someone if they have done something for you. A simple thanks goes a long way. 4: to clean up after ourselves. If you make a mistake, it's okay. Fix it, learn from it, and move on. 5: Watch out for traffic. Hold hands and stick together. If you see one of your colleagues in a tough situation, speak up! Hold hands and stick together as a unit and stand up for each other. 6: To think before speaking. If what you would like to say has no other purpose than to hurt someone, it may be good to keep silent for an hour and re-formulate that thought. Don't be afraid to say sorry. Never hesitate to apologize if someone's told you that you've hurt them. Apologizing is not a sign of weakness, but one of compassion and respect. And for goodness sake, if you do apologize please do it sincerely and don't diminish your apology by saying something like: "I'm sorry that you felt that way", or "I'm sorry that you took it the wrong way". And finally, number 7: to not hit people. Don't hit people with your hands or feet, but just as importantly, do not be a bully with your words, actions or deeds which could have insidious and lingering effects.

Ausama: Okay. Thank you, Ben. That completes this Podcast on Civility in the Workplace. We hope you enjoyed listening to our show. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the OVE at NC-OVE-AC-BVE@HRSDC-HRDCC.GC.CA. Wow, that was a mouthful. Also, check out our iService site. For more information, tools and resources on civility, and for more information on Aspire, you can join our Aspire GCConnex group or our Aspire GCPedia place or our iService site. On behalf of the entire OVE team:

Ausama and Ben: Take care and talk to you next time!