Civility Training

The Institute for Civility’s training curriculum emphasizes the need for a new understanding of civility. The training opens the door to a new imperative around civility by teaching participants how to challenge their own biases and check their own defenses before forming an opinion or taking a position. The result of the training is a new, more inclusive understanding of civility that embraces our shared lived experiences.

What makes us different

Civility is the baseline of respect we owe one another in public life.

Traditional applications of civility that emphasize manners and behavior over meaningful engagement and shared understanding have led us to a fatal misunderstanding of how to resolve our differences. Forced politeness that conceals authentic human feeling only fosters resentment and drives agendas underground.

Through our Civility Training programs, participants come to understand why traditional applications of civility have historically been used to marginalize population segments, repress dissent, reinforce existing social power, and ultimately impede shared understanding.

Highlights

Civility Training

  • Teaches tips and techniques for the practical application of civility on the job and in our personal lives.
  • Creates a safe environment to explore and deepen understanding of personal biases, defenses, and reactivity that often lead to anxiety, depression, stress, and confusion.

Why Civility Training?

The cost of incivility is high.

The absence of respect, kindness, and shared understanding in our professional and personal interactions not only diminishes the health and well-being of our society but also has a profound psychological and emotional impact on the individual. Chronic incivility often produces a state of “fight or flight,” where the symptoms of stress range from depression to anxiety to addiction to lowered self-esteem to diminished capacity.

Our Civility Training programs are specifically designed to address the stresses of incivility directly, equipping individuals with the tools they need to step outside the emotionally and psychologically destructive systems of attack and defense. Participants learn to recontextualize their experience of themselves and others in ways that produce healthier, less stressful, and more productive outcomes.

Testimonials

What our participants are saying

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“Thank you! A very difficult meeting last night left me and other board members tired and hopeless today. This IC Civility training made ME feel seen and heard, and that in itself is a lesson to hold onto.”
Deborah B.
Training Attendee, March 2020
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“WOW, is all I can say about training today. Therapy comes from strange places sometimes. Thank you!”
John P.
Training Attendee, March 2023
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“Thank you so much, Eliah! I think this is the best way I’ve spent an hour of my time in a long time. I want more trainings!”
Delia F.
Training Attendee, May 2023

Outcomes

Training that gets results.

1

Improved communication and listening skills

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Increased empathy for the lived experience of others

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Improved communication and listening skills

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Awareness of the disparity between intent and impact

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Decreased reactivity in emotionally charged environments

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Strong professional and interpersonal relationships

Ready for radical change? Let’s explore!

For over 20 years, the Institute for Civility has been the leading voice for civility. In-person and virtual training is delivered by our Civil Certified Master Facilitators who are lauded for our focus on listening, storytelling, and engaging and activating people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. We’d love to design a civility training program that meets your specific needs. Reach out to get the conversation started.

You ask, we answer

Learn more about our civility training programs

We train all audiences, spanning education, government, nonprofits and associations, community groups, and corporate workplaces.

We deliver both in-person and virtual trainings. We work to customize a training to meet your organization’s specific needs. Formats span from hour-long sessions to half, full-day and multi-day workshops and retreats.

Trainings generally start at $3,400 per session with two trained facilitators, pre-work discovery sessions, shareable training perk package, including IC authored books, swag, certificate of completion, and lifetime subscriber benefits for all attendees. We work with our partners and their budgets. Please do not hesitate to reach out and explore all options.

Yes! All participants receive an official Institute of Civility course completion certificate.

We cover 50 + civility related topics, including, but not exhaustive:

  • Redefining civility for the 21st Century
  • Creating awareness of the disparity between Intent and Impact
  • Unlearning unconscious and confirmation biases
  • Understanding and circumventing microaggressions
  • Preserving mental health and wellness: alternatives to the systems of defense and attack
  • Applied Civility 101: Tips and techniques for avoiding stress trigger(s)