Civility in Action with SHRM’s Tina Beaty

Mission Forward with Carrie Fox

According to SHRM research, there are over 67 million acts of incivility happening at work every day. Our guest this week argues that the fabric of how we treat each other is starting to unravel - with serious consequences for employee mental health, productivity and company culture. But there’s hope: change can start with each of us, one interaction at a time.

Tina Beaty is Chief Brand and Marketing Officer for SHRM and this week, she sits down with Carrie to dive into SHRM's new civility index and campaign aimed at empowering managers and employees with the tools to handle uncivil behavior and engage in respectful dialogue, even on controversial topics. They explore how generational differences, polarizing political issues, and the stresses of the past few years are playing out at work.

Rather than waiting for elected officials or senior leaders to set the tone, Beaty encourages listeners to take ownership of their own conduct. "Every single interaction is a decision," she reminds us. With empathy, positive intent, and a commitment to open and honest communication, Beaty believes workplaces can become a model for the civil society we wish to see.

This is a discussion on the small choices that can make a big difference in transforming workplace culture. Disagree better, assume positive intent, and be the civility we seek - it may be the solution we need to create more productive, psychologically safe, and human-centered places of work.

This episode is sponsored by SHRM.org.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
• (03:22) - Introducing Tina Beaty
• (05:45) - About The Civility Campaign
• (17:02) - Connecting Across Divides