Contagious Behaviours

Research undertaken on the nation’s workforce in June 2017 has revealed that workplace behaviours are highly infectious. The ILM surveyed 2,000 UK employees in full and part-time work and found that 74% of UK professionals mirror the leadership styles of their colleagues.

Be mindful though, as it is both the best and worst leadership traits that can spread contagiously through a business, with professionals’ behaviours most heavily influenced by the people they work with most frequently. Surprisingly, people are not influenced by traditional hierarchies when it comes to who they emulate. Almost half (49%) of respondents revealed they replicate behaviours from people across their organisation regardless of their age, and a similar number (46%) say they copy behaviours from people of all levels of seniority.

The findings also found.

• 74% of people who copy humour do so to help them work better with others.

• 29% of people who copy delegation/organisation do so to be promoted or receive a pay rise
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• 41% of people who copy creativity/inspiration/innovation do so to increase productivity
(source ILM).

This begs the questions:
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1. What behaviours may be emulated in your organisation?
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2. Which of those can behaviours are having a positive effect and are highly valuable, supporting your continued business success and growth?
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3. Which are having a damaging effect?
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4. Are honest conversation being held to tackle those damaging behaviours head on?
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5. Are you and your managers/leader acting as role models?

If you don’t know where to start in answering these questions why not contact us, we can help with a cure.

Through employee engagement we can establish what is working for your business and what is getting in your way.

Our Management Development Programme can help your managers and leaders be truly authentic role models.

Our bespoke training can support people in having robust and honest conversations that can be the step change that you would like to see.