Business Etiquette - Cursing At Work

Eliminating Inappropriate Language in the Workplace

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

I am a manager at a large company, and my team is primarily younger associates (just out of college). I'm not sure if they just haven't mentally graduated from frat life or if there is a generational difference here, but I find their language atrocious and totally out of line. They have no problem using swears in casual conversation.

I'm starting to worry that it's becoming a liability--making me look like I can't whip this team into professional shape. Furthermore, if they dropped a curse word in front of a client I'm not sure what I'd do.

How can I get the group of them to clean up their lot? I don't want to be a "nag," because I feel like that will reduce my credibility as their manager, but I do want to be firm and assert my authority.

Sincerely,

Mouth Washed with Soap 

A:

Dear Mouth Washed With Soap,

Stop worrying about being a nag and start worrying about your job--and that of your group. Once you do that, you'll see that a firm, zero-tolerance policy on language is the only way to go to be an effective manager in this situation. 

Implementing Your Policy:

1. Make the policy clear to everyone in the company. Articulate what you expect in writing, and verbally.

2. Make a consequence for behavior. Make the consequence appropriate.

3. Enforce the consequence.

If your employees as you why, tell them: 

– Cursing at work is offensive to many people.

– Cursing at work shows a lack of patience and that is a weakness.

– Cursing shows a lack of respect.

– Cursing shows a lack of vocabulary. There are a lot of words that can be used in place of curse words.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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