
01 Oct #296 – Integrity Idea 084: Purge Profanity
Integrity Ideas are specific actions a leader can consider during the Re-Align step of Integriosity®–actions that will begin to Re-Align the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities. You can find more Integrity Ideas at Integrous | Integrity Ideas (integriosity.com)
INTEGRITY IDEA: Purge Profanity
ESSENCE: Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.
INTEGRITY IDEA: Purge Profanity
“Purge Profanity” is about implementing policies and practices that discourage employees from using vulgar, obscene, or profane language while working or representing the organization. The Bible is very clear in warning against profanity, but this is not about purity, prudishness, or legalism.
It recognizes that words have power to bless or curse–the power to give “life” or bring “death” to another–and that profanity corrodes culture and undermines flourishing by normalizing coarseness, undermining respect, and making it easier to dehumanize people made in God’s image.
Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. We believe some are critical (and necessary) steps in the RENEW/RE-ALIGN/RE-IMAGINE/RESTORE process. Others are just ideas to be considered if they feel like a good fit based on what leaders prayerfully discern is best for stewarding the organization toward its WHY. We believe a faithful leader pursuing faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities toward Biblical flourishing should, at a minimum, implement “Purge Profanity” for their own behavior. It is difficult to think of a reason not to extend the practice throughout the organization.
Profanity has become commonplace in modern culture—even celebrated. Politicians, celebrities, and executives drop the f-word publicly as if shock value were authenticity or toughness. Their utterances get spread through social media and the press and “liked” or otherwise affirmed by those who agree with the message underlying the profanity. Their use of profanity “from the top” gives permission to others to join them in the gutter. In the workplace, profanity (including crude jokes) is often dismissed as “harmless” or “just part of the culture.”
Freedom of speech and “cancel culture” are currently hot topics in the news. The government’s obligation to protect the freedom of speech should not be confused with the right of a private organization pursuing faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities toward Biblical flourishing to regulate behavior, including speech, that undermines faithful integrity, those beliefs, principles and priorities, or flourishing. The “cancelling” of speech because of disagreement with its substance should not be confused with requiring civility in the manner of communication in work settings in order to maintain a culture that aligns with the organization’s purpose and values.
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, it is instructive to consider what our Founding Fathers said about language and profanity. The first of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues urged “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.” Franklin taught that words should be measured, beneficial, and never wasted in “trifling conversation.” Profanity, by its very nature, adds no benefit—it is trifling or worse.
Even more striking are the words issued by George Washington to his troops on August 3, 1776, less than a month after the Declaration of Independence, tying the moral tone of language to the blessings of God. Washington issued this General Order:
The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish, and wicked practice, of profane cursing and swearing (a Vice heretofore little known in an American Army) is growing into fashion; he hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavour to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms, if we insult it by our impiety, and folly; added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense, and character, detests and despises it.
For Washington, profanity was not harmless—it was an insult to God, a threat to Heaven’s blessing, and a mark of low character. If the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army saw profanity as corrosive to discipline and divine favor, how much more should faithful leaders today recognize its destructive effect on culture and flourishing?
More importantly, Scripture is also very clear about profanity. Consider these passages:
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place . . . (Ephesians 5:4)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:9)
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)
Jesus taught that speech reveals the condition of the heart:
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, … for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. (Matthew 15:18)
Profanity is not harmless “colorful language.” It reflects and reinforces what lives within. We have looked at the power of words in several past posts:
• Post #113–The Power of Words (and Disordered Words)
• Post #114–Words That Shape Work
In post #163 (Integrity Idea 021: Cancel Cursing), we specifically suggested discouraging employees from engaging in communications and behavior that slander, disrespect, malign, dishonor, humiliate, or disparage other employees (e.g., gossip).
Profanity in an organizational culture pursuing faithful integrity should not be celebrated as toughness, dismissed as harmless, tolerated as “part of the culture”, or embraced as authenticity or freedom of speech. Leading faithfully through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing requires cultivating an organizational culture built on a recognition of Imago Dei that honors human dignity, reflects the holiness of the God in whose image we were created, and glorifies God.
Cultivating such a culture may require faithful leaders to take practical steps to combat the worldly momentum toward vulgarity that has made it an accepted practice throughout American culture, including business as usual and work as usual.
CONTINUUM: Policies
The Integriosity model organizes “heart change” along six Covert-Overt Continuums. There is nothing magic about these categories, but we believe they are helpful in thinking about practical execution of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture. The Continuums are Prayer, Proclamation, Policies, Practices, Products, People.
Each Continuum represents an area in which leaders can begin to think about, plan and institute Re-Alignment changes to the heart of the organization.
“Purge Profanity” is on the Policies Continuum. Policies are guidelines, whether written or merely understood, that define and shape aspects of an organization’s culture by providing both expectations for behavior as well as procedures and consequences for behavior that undermines the desired culture. “Purge Profanity” reinforces the priorities of the Imago Dei, the Golden Rule and the commandments to love God and love your neighbor.
The pursuit of faithful integrity by an organization requires faithful integrity in its leaders, and an organizational culture aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities needs faithful leaders who live their lives in the same alignment. Putting in place policies to “Purge Profanity” will help ensure the cultural alignment by helping ensure the leader’s continued alignment.
COVERT-OVERT RATING: Highly Covert
The Integriosity model breaks the Covert-Overt Continuums into six gradations–from Highly Covert to Highly Overt–that we believe are helpful in beginning to pray and think about what is most appropriate for an organization at a particular moment in time.
Most Integrity Ideas will have one place on the scale. Some can vary depending on how they are implemented.
“Purge Profanity” is Highly Covert (an action that would be taken by a secular company), because every organization could and should strive to create a culture of healthy communication. Because profanity has become so culturally accepted, “Purge Profanity” will likely need to be tied to organizational values and the respectful culture being curated. “Purge Profanity” can also be Overt (An overtly faith-based action known generally within the organization) if the leaders of the organization choose to explain its importance in terms of Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities such as Imago Dei.
STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom
When we categorize faith-based actions, we also consider the stakeholders principally impacted by the action: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community and Kingdom.
Although “Purge Profanity” most directly impacts employees, it is so counter-cultural that it will inevitably impact all the organization’s stakeholders as well as the Kingdom if employees carry the practice into their interactions with those touched by the organization.
The foolish, and wicked, practice, of profane cursing and swearing . . . is a vice so mean and low . . . that every man of sense, and character, detests and despises it.`` (George Washington)
IMPLEMENTATION
An organization committed to RE-IMAGINING its culture in alignment with business a better way (prioritizing relationships, community, human dignity and flourishing of all people) MUST examine how it’s culture treats the people it touches (owners, employees, vendors, customers, communities), whether its culture encourages healthy or unhealthy communication among those people, and whether its culture leads to work being experienced by its people as a blessing of flourishing to be embraced or a burden to be minimized.
Cultivating an organizational culture aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities requires faithful leaders to take practical steps to combat worldly momentum toward vulgarity that has made it an accepted practice throughout American culture, including business as usual and work as usual.
Implementing “Purge Profanity” will vary greatly depending on the nature of the organization, but the words of George Washington offer some guidance. Washington told his troops, “He hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavour to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect . . ..” Washington urges example and influence by leaders and reflection by all. It is not about rules and punishments. It about buy-in from the top and buy-in throughout.
As a faithful leader thinks through the most effective approach for faithfully leading their organization through business a better way, here are a few options to consider:
• Example. No matter what other approaches are pursued, it is critical for the leaders of the organization to lead by example, both in how they behave and how they respond to profanity by others (including other leaders). In a small organization, this may be all that is required. “Purge Profanity” is about curating culture, and curation must start with the tone set at the top. Turning to a quote we have used before from Seth Godin:
People are watching you. They’re not listening to your words as much as they’re seeking to understand where the boundaries and the guard rails lie, because they’ve learned from experience that people who do what gets rewarded, get rewarded. Be clear and consistent about how we do things around here.
• Training. Training on how to recognize and respond to profanity is helpful, and may be necessary, because profanity is so ingrained in the culture of the kingdom of the world. Training could be formal training sessions or it could be helpful hints in an e-mail, a newsletter or a poster on the wall.
• Principles. If an organization’s purpose and values embody concepts such as transparency, honesty or treating people with dignity, then “Purge Profanity” can be worked into the ongoing efforts a faithful leader should be undertaking to remind people of the purpose and values, to recognize behavior that exemplifies the purpose and values, and to address promptly behavior that undermines them.
• Policies. However communicated, “Purge Profanity” should be recognized by employees as an informal or formal policy of an organization pursuing a culture of Biblical flourishing that prioritizes relationships, community, human dignity, and flourishing. Profanity is often captured by workplace policies prohibiting hostile work environments of bullying or harassment, but those are “thou shalt not” policies more than “this is who we are” policies. If there is employee buy-in to a culture that prioritizes relationships, community, human dignity, and flourishing, “Purge Profanity” is descriptive rather than prescriptive.
It is important to note that the National Labor Relations Board has held that employer rules prohibiting disrespectful conduct unlawfully chill employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act to engage in “concerted activity” or discuss workplace conditions. For example, a judge found that Starbucks policies requiring “Partners are expected to communicate with other partners and customers in a professional and respectful manner at all times” and “We treat each other with dignity and respect, and connect with transparency” were overly broad. For a summary of this issue, consider this article from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Faithful leaders should get any employee policies reviewed by employment counsel, particularly if unions or unionization is involved.
As we have emphasized many times, the bigger WHYs of business are to Humanize People, Beautify the World and Glorify God. Profanity dehumanizes people, uglifies the world and, in George Washington’s words, insults God.
Faithful leaders have the opportunity to Humanize, Beautify and Glorify through the way in which they conduct business and lead organizations. “Purge Profanity” is one positive step toward those purposes.
PERSONAL NOTE (from PM): I have never been comfortable using profanity (except when I am alone in the car and some Bozo does something stupid), and it grates on me to talk to someone who injects the F-word in or after every sentence. This was the case even before my faith was awakened. It seems to be everywhere–why can’t some Peloton trainers make it through a workout without the F-word? Why do they need to pick songs with very crude lyrics–there is plenty of great music out there? (I always give lower ratings when they do). That said, I have worked with a few belligerent types and seen it work to their advantage in the world. I was thankful to read recently about research showing that “being a jerk” usually doesn’t pay off. Any advantage from a perception of power is offset by the disadvantage of damaged relationships. That will be the topic of a future post.
I was speaking to a friend recently who shared his personal experience of purging profanity. He began working in a corporate environment where profanity and crude jokes were common. He never called people out on it, but he also refused to participate in it. Eventually, people stopped using profanity around him, even catching themselves and commenting “I’m sorry, I forgot you don’t swear.” That is being salt and light.
ESSENCE: Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.
INTEGRITY IDEA: Purge Profanity
“Purge Profanity” is about implementing policies and practices that discourage employees from using vulgar, obscene, or profane language while working or representing the organization. The Bible is very clear in warning against profanity, but this is not about purity, prudishness, or legalism. It recognizes that words have power to bless or curse–the power to give “life” or bring “death” to another–and that profanity corrodes culture and undermines flourishing by normalizing coarseness, undermining respect, and making it easier to dehumanize people made in God’s image. Profanity in an organizational culture pursuing faithful integrity should not be celebrated as toughness, dismissed as harmless, tolerated as “part of the culture”, or embraced as authenticity or freedom of speech. Leading faithfully through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing requires cultivating an organizational culture built on a recognition of Imago Dei that honors human dignity, reflects the holiness of the God in whose image we were created, and glorifies God. Cultivating such a culture may require faithful leaders to take practical steps to combat the worldly momentum toward vulgarity that has made it an accepted practice throughout American culture, including business as usual and work as usual. It’s more about creating a “this is who we are” culture than a “thou shall not” rule. As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, it is instructive to consider that one of our Founding Fathers said profanity was a “foolish and wicked practice“, and an “insult” to God. Profuse profanity is not progress.
COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Policies
COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert
STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom
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