Incivility at Work: Why small behaviours matter more than you think
Incivility at work often hides in plain sight. It’s not always shouting or open conflict. Sometimes it’s subtle such as eye rolls, ignoring others’ input, cutting people off. And because people don’t always agree on what’s acceptable, these behaviours go unchallenged.
In a recent team development session, we explored this exact issue. What stood out was how normalised some low-level negative behaviours had become, not because people were intentionally disrespectful, but because there was no shared understanding of what counts as incivility.
The problem with ambiguity
When you don’t define what “respectful” behaviour looks like:
People interpret it differently
Unclear boundaries mean poor accountability
Low-level incivility goes unchecked and spreads
Over time, this erodes trust, morale, and team cohesion.
A useful framework: The Civility Spectrum
To help the team make sense of these dynamics, we used Clark’s (2017) Civility Spectrum. It breaks behaviours into four categories:
Spectrum Level | Description |
|---|---|
Highly civil | Consistently respectful and constructive |
Civility with gaps | Mostly respectful, with occasional lapses |
Incivility with gaps | Low-level, repeated acts of disrespect |
Highly uncivil | Persistent, damaging behaviours |
This tool helped the team identify:
Where minor incivilities had become normal
How those behaviours affected psychological safety
What actions were needed to intervene earlier
Making civility a shared responsibility
Once behaviours were mapped, team members reflected on their own actions and made personal commitments to:
Promote civility actively
Address disrespect, even when it’s minor
Call out ambiguity when expectations aren’t clear
The shift? Moving from vague frustration to shared language and accountability.
Why this matters
Unchecked incivility doesn’t stay small. It builds, spreads, and creates a climate of fear or indifference. A clear, shared understanding of what civility looks like allows people to intervene earlier and to do so confidently.
Small actions shape culture. When teams define and commit to respectful behaviour together, they build trust and create space for psychological safety to grow.
Want to strengthen your team culture?
Start by getting clear on what civility really means.
Reference
Clark, M. C. (2017). The Civility Spectrum: A Tool for Building Respectful Teams.
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