Introduction
Civility in the workplace is crucial for maintaining a positive and productive work environment. Incivility in the workplace is a serious issue that directly impacts operations and performance, making it essential to measure and assess (Griffin & Clark, 2014). One way to do this is through the Work Environment Assessment, a tool used to evaluate the level of civility in an organization. In this paper, I discuss and analyze the meaning of my assessment which returned a score of 88. This paper highlights the strategies the organization could use to promote civility by capitalizing on the identified strengths and working on the areas of weakness.
Part 1: Work Environment Assessment
My Work Environment Assessment score was 88, indicating that my workplace has many positive aspects, but there may be room for improvement. This score suggests that the workplace is moderately healthy (Clark, 2015). Based on the results of the assessment, there are three areas that I need to put more effort in because they performed below average. These specific areas include communication among employees, employee engagement, and workload and stress management. Engaging in the work environment assessment was insightful because it underscored the importance of organizations regularly conducting these assessments. Doing this enables these organizations to monitor the evolution of the work environment and make changes as necessary.
Two things that surprised me about the results were that the workplace’s physical environment was rated highly, and the workplace’s psychological aspects were also good. One idea confirmed before conducting the assessment was that the organization’s policies and procedures effectively promote a healthy and safe work environment. The work environment assessment later confirmed this idea about the organization’s policies and procedures. The assessment showed that the organization’s policies and procedures were effectively implemented to create a healthy and safe work environment for employees.
The work environment assessment suggests that the workplace is generally safe, healthy, and conducive to productivity. The physical space is free from hazardous materials, and the psychological environment is favorable. The organization’s policies and procedures are also effective in protecting employees from discrimination or unfair treatment. This indicates a generally positive work environment. However, there may be opportunities for improvement in areas such as providing more resources for employees, improving communication systems, and fostering a sense of community among staff to enhance the workplace even further.
Part 2: Reviewing the Literature
Clark (2015) highlights vital concepts to foster effective communication in the workplace. The first concept discussed is engaging in constructively challenging conversations by asking questions, listening actively, and reflecting on the conversation. The second concept is committing to the conversation and finding a resolution by expressing empathy and understanding while maintaining respect for the other person. The third concept is preparing for the conversation by understanding the purpose and gathering relevant facts and information. Finally, the fourth concept entails using contemporary communication models like the DESC model, which involves describing the situation, expressing feelings, stating the consequences and desired outcome, and asking for a resolution.
These theories and concepts discussed in Clark (2015) help encourage and promote meaningful conversations in the workplace. Newnam and Goode (2019) argued that by engaging in challenging conversations, reflecting, probing, and committing to the conversation, and applying contemporary communication models, employees could build relationships, trust, and respect with one another. Ultimately, doing this leads to improved morale and better communication, which improves the level of civility in the workplace.
By encouraging employees to reflect on conversations, probe for more information, and commit to finding a resolution, organizations can improve communication and understanding among team members. Newnam and Goode (2019) suggested that organizations can realize more effective collaboration and problem-solving models by practicing this. For example, when a team is facing a challenging project, the team leader could facilitate a conversation where team members reflect on their challenges, probe for more information about each other’s perspectives, and commit to finding a solution together. Such a process would help build trust and cohesion among team members and lead to better outcomes for the project (Lake et al., 2020). Using the DESC model would be helpful to organizations as it would provide effective feedback and improve communication among team members. For instance, when a team member fails to meet expectations, a manager could use the DESC model to provide feedback. Using the model, the manager would effectively describe the specific behavior causing concern, express its effect on the team, specify the desired behavior, and state the potential consequences of not making the change.
Part 3: Evidence-Based Strategies to Create High-Performance Interprofessional Teams
A strategy that could be implemented to improve communication among employees is to establish regular team meetings or check-ins. Arguably, this would be an effective way to promote open and transparent communication and ensure everyone is on the same page (Clark, 2015). Creating a culture of open communication and encouraging employees to speak up when they have concerns or ideas can also be beneficial. Another strategy, but this time focused on improving employee engagement, is to provide opportunities for professional development and growth. This would involve offering training and development programs, mentoring opportunities, and cross-functional projects. Additionally, involving employees in decision-making and giving them a sense of ownership in their work can increase engagement.
Creating a healthy and productive work environment is essential for success in any organization (Havaei et al., 2020). The key to achieving this is implementing strategies that support and bolster successful practices. Two such strategies can be implemented in this regard: establishing a formal feedback system and increasing recognition and reward practices. Implementing a formal feedback system is an effective way to gather employee feedback, understand their perspectives, and identify successful practices (Erum et al., 2020). An approach like this would help managers create an effective communication and collaboration process within the organization. This process also helps managers identify and address issues hindering the organization’s success. Another essential strategy is to increase recognition and reward practices within the organization. Recognizing and rewarding employees for their successful behaviors and practices can create a positive and productive workplace culture. According to Newnam and Goode (2019), this would encourage employees to continue their success, which fosters a work environment conducive to achieving success.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, the score of 88 from the Work Environment Assessment conducted shows that the workplace is relatively healthy but with a few areas that need improvement. The results had a few surprising elements, but the key among them was the positivity expressed by the participants. Areas that need improvement include communication, employee engagement, and stress management. Strategies for these three were, nonetheless, identified from proposed approaches from reviewed literature and insights from the assessment.
References
Clark, C. M. (2015). Conversations to inspire and promote a more civil workplace. American Nurse Today, 10(11), 18-23. https://www.americannursetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ant11-CE-Civility-1023.pdf
Erum, H., Abid, G., Contreras, F., & Islam, T. (2020). Role of family motivation, workplace civility and self-efficacy in developing affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 10(1), 358-374. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe10010027
Griffin, M., & Clark, C. M. (2014). Revisiting Cognitive Rehearsal as an Intervention Against Incivility and Lateral Violence in Nursing: 10 Years Later. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(12), 535-542. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20141122-02
Havaei, F., Astivia, O. L. O., & MacPhee, M. (2020). The impact of workplace violence on medical-surgical nurses’ health outcome: A moderated mediation model of work environment conditions and burnout using secondary data. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 109, 103666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103666
Lake, E. T., Sanders, J., Duan, R., Riman, K. A., Schoenauer, K. M., & Chen, Y. (2019). A meta-analysis of the associations between the nurse work environment in hospitals and 4 sets of outcomes. Medical Care, 57(5), 353. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001109
Newnam, S., & Goode, N. (2019). Communication in the workplace: Defining the conversations of supervisors. Journal of Safety Research, 70, 19-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2019.04.009
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and examine the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory, found on page 20 of Clark (2015).
- Review the Work Environment Assessment Template*.
- Reflect on the output of your Discussion post regarding your evaluation of workplace civility and the feedback received from colleagues.
- Select and review one or more of the following articles found in the Resources:
- Clark, Olender, Cardoni, and Kenski (2011)
- Clark (2018)
- Clark (2015)
- Griffin and Clark (2014)
*Template completed in the Week 7 discussion should not be submitted with this assignment.
The Assignment (3-6 pages total):
Part 1: Work Environment Assessment (1-2 pages)
- Review the Work Environment Assessment Template you completed for this Module’s Discussion.
- Describe the results of the Work Environment Assessment you completed on your workplace.
- Identify two things that surprised you about the results and one idea you believed prior to conducting the Assessment that was confirmed.
- Explain what the results of the Assessment suggest about the health and civility of your workplace.
Part 2: Reviewing the Literature (1-2 pages)
- Briefly describe the theory or concept presented in the article(s) you selected.
- Explain how the theory or concept presented in the article(s) relates to the results of your Work Environment Assessment.
- Explain how your organization could apply the theory highlighted in your selected article(s) to improve organizational health and/or create stronger work teams. Be specific and provide examples.
Part 3: Evidence-Based Strategies to Create High-Performance Interprofessional Teams (1–2 pages)
- Recommend at least two strategies, supported in the literature, that can be implemented to address any shortcomings revealed in your Work Environment Assessment.
- Recommend at least two strategies that can be implemented to bolster successful practices revealed in your Work Environment Assessment.