The Ray Center at Drake University and the Society for Human ...

24 Oct 2024

Drake University Newsroom

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) are proud to launch a partnership that will promote civility at work. Research from SHRM shows that more than half (58%) of U.S. workers believe our society is uncivil, and U.S. organizations collectively lose approximately $2 billion per day in reduced productivity and absenteeism. Through available resources, events, and programming, The Ray Center and SHRM have set a goal of advancing one million civil conversations in the workplace by 2025.

Drake - Figure 1 — Photo Drake University Newsroom

“The new partnership between the Ray Center and SHRM is an embodiment of Drake University’s inspiration statement—together we transform lives and strengthen communities,” said Drake University president, Marty Martin. “I’m proud of the work and the many partnerships the Ray Center has forged to offer the knowledge and expertise of Drake faculty and staff to benefit the greater good of society well beyond our campus.”

SHRM’s Civility Starter Kit provides tools to foster civil conversations. The Starter Kit includes:

SHRM’S Civility Index: Quarterly pulse report measuring the impact of incivility across the workplace, employee wellbeing, and society. 5 Step Guide to Civil Conversations: A practical guide to giving teams a leg up on fostering civility every day in the workplace, and it starts with a single conversation. Cards Against Incivility: Conversation starters for team building designed to encourage open communication and reinforce the importance respectful dialogue in the workplace.

Civility at the center of societyThe recent partnership with SHRM is one of many held by the Ray Center, whose mission is to improve civility through character development and ethical leadership. The Center offers research-driven programming that provides character education and leadership development resources to improve civility and produce measurable results in schools, organizations, and community. The Ray Center serves as the global hub for CHARACTER COUNTS!, serving 8 million youth worldwide. Additionally, the Ray Center serves more than 1,000 legislators across North America, and more than 90,000 actively engaged educators through the recently established partnership with Kindness 101 and CBS News.

To download SHRM’s free civility resources, visit: www.shrm.org/topics-tools/topics/civility