“Why can’t people just act like grown-ups?” It’s something we’ve all said at work. When conflict gets messy, the default advice is simple: be more professional… be an adult.
But here’s the truth: grown-ups aren’t actually that great at being grown-ups. If they were, we wouldn’t need lawyers, therapists, or so much help navigating conflict. Avoidance, defensiveness, and miscommunication don’t disappear with age or title.
In this session, we’ll move beyond clichés and focus on what workplace civility actually takes, from navigating conflict to giving feedback and managing emotions under pressure.
• Challenge the assumption that professionalism equals maturity
• Identify common behaviors that undermine workplace civility, including avoidance, defensiveness, and poor communication
• Understand the core skills required for civil, productive interactions, especially during conflict
Speaker:
Catherine Mattice
Founder/CEO
Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, which is an organizational development firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners’ clients range from Fortune 500’s to small businesses across many industries. Catherine is a TEDx speaker and an HR thought-leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She’s an award-winning speaker, author and blogger, and has 60+ courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning. Her fourth book, Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies (Wiley) is available in all major bookstores and where audio books are sold.