Civility Training & Facilitation

Transform Conversations. Strengthen Teams. Lead with Civility.

We equip leaders, educators, individuals, and organizations with tools to navigate difficult conversations, build trust, and create cultures rooted in respect and understanding.

Explore the approach

SHRM Recertification Provider

About SHRM Recertification Provider

SHRM professionals can earn professional development credits (PDCs) through eligible Institute for Civility trainings and programs. Our mission has always been to equip individuals and organizations with the tools to communicate respectfully, navigate differences, and build healthier workplaces and communities. Becoming a SHRM Recertification Provider expands that impact by connecting civility training directly to professional growth and leadership development.

Learn about SHRM

Organizations
we've trained

US National Park Service
New York State Unified Court SystemNew York State Court System
Red Rocks Community College
Soroptimist International of the AmericasSoroptimist
Blue Ridge Health Group
Teachers Retirement Association of Minnesota
Missouri City/County Management Association

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

How we communicate matters just as much as what we communicate.

Our trainings help people navigate disagreement with confidence, build stronger and more inclusive environments, and improve collaboration and decision-making.

Through interactive workshops, real-world scenarios, and practical tools, participants learn how to turn tension into transformation.

  • Real conversations, not just theory
  • Interactive and engaging—not lecture-driven
  • Led by experienced communicators and facilitators
  • Designed for practical application and lasting behavior change
Participants taking part in an Institute for Civility training
An Institute for Civility facilitator leading an interactive training exercise

ADAPTIVE BY DESIGN

Designed around the people in the room.

Individuals · small teams · departments · large groups

Training formats

  • In-person workshops
  • Virtual trainings
  • Half-day and full-day intensives
  • Multi-session series
  • Custom organizational programs

Who we serve

  • Government and civic leaders
  • Corporate teams and HR departments
  • Nonprofits and community organizations
  • Schools and universities
  • Faith-based organizations

Tailored to your group

  • Built around your goals and desired outcomes
  • Adapted to the participants and setting
  • Length and format shaped to your needs
  • Content selected for the conversations your group is facing
  • Available for individuals, teams, departments, and larger groups

VIRTUAL TRAINING PREVIEW

See the approach in action.

This short excerpt offers a feel for the tone, pacing, and practical focus of an Institute virtual training.

HIGHLIGHTS

Civility training with practical and personal impact.

  • Teaches techniques for applying civility at work and in personal life.
  • Creates a safer environment to explore biases, defenses, and reactivity that can contribute to anxiety, stress, and confusion.

WHY CIVILITY TRAINING?

The cost of incivility is high.

The absence of respect, kindness, and shared understanding diminishes the health of our communities and can have a profound emotional and psychological impact on individuals. Chronic incivility can trigger “fight or flight,” contributing to stress, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, and diminished capacity.

Institute programs address those stresses directly. Participants learn tools for stepping outside destructive systems of attack and defense, recontextualizing their experiences, and producing healthier, less stressful, and more productive outcomes.

OUR TRAINING AREAS

Practical skills for healthier conversations.

Each engagement is shaped around the audience, the challenges they are facing, and the outcomes they need.

Effective Communication & Civility Foundations

What you’ll learn

  • Core principles of civil discourse
  • Active listening and respectful engagement
  • Communicating across differences

Outcome: Participants leave with tools to communicate clearly without escalating conflict.

Navigating Conflict with Confidence

What you’ll learn

  • Root causes of conflict
  • De-escalation strategies
  • Turning tension into productive dialogue

Outcome: Teams can address issues directly without damaging relationships.

Facilitating Productive Conversations & Meetings

What you’ll learn

  • Running inclusive, effective meetings
  • Encouraging participation from all voices
  • Keeping conversations focused and outcome-driven

Outcome: Leaders learn to guide discussions without dominating them—facilitation as neutral guidance.

Bridging Divides & Finding Common Ground

What you’ll learn

  • Engaging across political, cultural, and personal differences
  • Building empathy in polarized environments
  • Strategies for unity without uniformity

Outcome: Participants leave equipped to connect, not cancel.

Building a Culture of Civility in Organizations

What you’ll learn

  • Embedding civility into workplace culture
  • Setting communication norms
  • Creating psychologically safe environments

Outcome: Organizations shift from reacting to intentionally building culture.

Managing Stress, Emotions & Workplace Tension

What you’ll learn

  • Emotional regulation in high-stress situations
  • Responding rather than reacting
  • Maintaining professionalism under pressure

Outcome: Healthier teams, fewer blow-ups, and better outcomes.

TESTIMONIALS

What participants are saying

Participants describe what changed for them—in the room and after the training ended.

  • I really like how the speakers acknowledged that disagreements and feelings of negativity occur in the workplace. You do not have to betray your truth to be civil, but you have to communicate in a way that is respectful and not harmful to others.
    Virtual training attendee · September 2025
  • Learning the importance of listening to reach a mutual goal.
    In-person training attendee · August 2025
  • I think this was a great training!
    Virtual training attendee · May 2025
  • This is the best way I’ve spent an hour of my time in a long time. I want more trainings!
    Training attendee · May 2023
  • WOW is all I can say about training today. Therapy comes from strange places sometimes. Thank you!
    Training attendee · March 2023
  • A very difficult meeting left me and other board members tired and hopeless. This training made me feel seen and heard, and that in itself is a lesson to hold onto.
    Training attendee · March 2020

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

Learn more about our civility training programs

We work across government and civic organizations; corporate teams and HR departments; nonprofits and associations; community groups; schools and universities; faith communities; and individuals. Programs can be designed for one person, a small team, a leadership cohort, a department, or a much larger group.

We deliver both in-person and virtual trainings, customized around an organization’s goals and context. Formats range from focused hour-long sessions to half-day, full-day, multi-day, retreat, and multi-session engagements.

A typical one-hour virtual session is about $1,500. The actual price can vary because the Institute customizes the length, format, audience, preparation, and content for each engagement. Tell us what you have in mind, and we’ll help identify an approach that fits your goals and budget.

Yes. Participants receive an official Institute for Civility course-completion certificate. Eligible programs may also offer SHRM professional development credits; availability should be confirmed for the specific engagement.

The Institute adapts the content to each group’s goals, participants, and setting. Topics can include civil discourse and civility foundations; active listening and respectful engagement; conflict navigation and de-escalation; facilitating productive meetings and conversations; communication across political, cultural, and personal differences; building organizational cultures of civility; and managing stress, emotions, and workplace tension.

Ready to bring civility back to your conversations?

Tell us about your people, setting, challenges, and goals. We’ll use that context to recommend a useful next step.

Ask About Training