A shared vocabulary is a critical place to start for any type of institution that wants to address negative acts in the workplace. It is important to understand that different people will have different understandings of these concepts based on their upbringing and their life experiences. By creating a shared vocabulary and a shared understanding of the values and expectations of your workplace, it is possible to reduce the number of negative interactions and behaviors experienced within the workplace as employees learn what is expected from them and what actions and words are harmful to others. 

Once people in your library have developed a shared understanding of negative acts in the workplace, it is critical to spend time reflecting on what the definitions are, and to take a moment to reflect on whether you’ve seen, experienced, or done these actions in the workplace. Later in the modules you will be presented with examples of the definitions here and will be asked to consider how you would act. You will then practice some of the best options for dealing with various negative acts which will help you contribute to a better, more supportive and inclusive work environment. 

It is important to understand that academia represents a unique environment in which bullying and incivility can thrive, due to the competitive, adversarial, and highly politicized environments that many academics find themselves in. There are special pressures associated with the tenure process that often lead to more bullying than in other workplace environments.