Replay - Can't We All Just Get Along?

<p>During December and January we are replaying some of our most popular episodes from previous years. This episode is from 30th November 2019 and is titled Can't We All Just Get Along?</p> <p> </p> <p class="p1"><strong>Summary</strong></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p3">Our workplaces can easily move towards what researchers call incivility. So what are the benefits of being nice to one another, and what can we do as leaders to get there?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1"><strong>Transcript</strong></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p3">Hello and welcome to episode 62 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we tackle one of today’s biggest leadership challenges. This week we explore why being nice to one another is so important for business performance.</p> <p class="p3">I was working with a client recently and discussing their culture. He said “as a psychologist you have the opportunity to work with lots of different organisations - I bet you walk in and get a pretty quick sense of the mood and culture”. It’s true - I find it easy to gain a quick read on the mood and culture of an organisation. Compare these two workplaces I recently visited. In one organisation I noticed people frowning, staring at screens, no conversation or laughter, and lots of sighs. In another the atmosphere was bordering on joyful - people warmly greeting one other, big smiles, people saying “hello” to me as I walked past even though they had no idea who I was. It was hard in the first organisation not to be dragged down, and it was equally hard in the second organisation not to be lifted up.<span class= "Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p3">But it’s not like being able to read the mood and culture of a workplace is some special power granted only to psychologists and consultants. It’s a special power we all have that comes with being human. We all read a room quickly at a subconscious level. However we become familiar and used to the rooms where we spend the most t