The Virtual Hostile Work Environment

There is something to be said for perceived anonymity. I have seen people who are Dr. Jekyll quickly turn into Mr. Hyde with the stroke of a keyboard. It is as if the computer screen gives them permission to switch off their filters and the ability to think before they 'speak'. The Id takes over and all the Superego has left the building. It's as if email and social media have given rise to a new weapon of mass destruction... the keyboard!

Social Media has become a new place where employees feel that they can bash their co-worker, supervisor and organization without reprecussions. All of their pent up frustration throughout the day is bottled until they get to a computer or smart device where they can erupt. Often they don't wait until they are off the clock and there will be a post, blog, snap, or tweet filled with their frustration.

How is it handled? Over the last few years not too well. Organizations have tried terminating employment as one method of eliminating these employees. Historically this does not seem to be an effective way of handling these individuals as many of these terminations have led to rehire or monetary values in court.

One radical resolution I would like to propose would be to turn that 'bad' review of people and organizations back on the author. How different would it be if we took these outbursts as attention seeking behavior and we gave positive attention to this information. Let it begin conversation. Take their concerns seriously and begin dialogue. How different would it be if these disengaged employees felt heard. How different would their response be if instead of feeling attacked the organization takes this as feedback and responds to it as if a customer were responding negatively to their goods or services. What would happen if we treated our employees like we do our students.

When thinking about civility in our company, social media is another avenue of communication. It's often a gateway when an employee doesn't feel heard or valued. We can utilize social media as a litmus test for engagement. Let's take Mr. Hyde's concerns and bring Dr. Jekyll to the table for radical conversation to re-engage these employees.

Jamie Tanner