SPURspectives

Have you heard the snickers about the supposed new civility that’s emerged recently? It’s been in the headlines coming out of Washington referring to the ratcheted up rhetoric, accusations, and shouting. It’s been in the sports pages with coaches punching coaches and basketball teams fighting with football teams. It’s become a daily event on talk shows. Now I fear it is bleeding into the business climate.

It’s tough out there. We all know it. We all feel it. Unfortunately, it seems that stress brings out either the best or worst in people. I’m involved in a lot of meetings. The climate has changed — people are more on edge now. There’s a new sense of tension in the room and I see it playing out in two ways. Some people are being more helpful, more watchful, and more sympathetic to those around them. Others — not so much. They have become ultra competitive, but in a less than forthright manner. They are so distraught that they will seemingly do anything to gain an advantage. What bothers me most is that they appear to believe that their behavior is justifiable. They are willing to take anything from anyone, damn the ethics.

This won’t last. The economy will improve and business will evolve. But we will all have our memory with us. We will know who had our back and who tried to eat our lunch. It will define the real new civility.

Photo: Bobu. Licensed by Creative Commons.

Tags: advantage, civility, competition, economy