Category: leadership

Covey’s “7 Habits” and Civility

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Leader In Me

Stephen Covey’s 1989 book invented the personal development industry for modern employers and employees. It has sold more than 20 million copies and helped millions of people become “more effective”.

I’ll connect the “7 habits” to the very independently derived 7 values and 7 skills/behaviors of Civility.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Wikipedia

Civility is Really About 7 Behaviors – Good News

Civility Resources (5): Action – Good News

7 Civility Values – Good News

Civility Resources (4): Values – Good News

Covey’s book is principle centered, focused on character development and the importance of managing perceptions.

Civility is “principle centered”, based on the 7 nonpartisan values of human dignity, respect, acceptance, responsibility, constructiveness, intentionality and public spiritedness.

Civility is based upon 7 skills/behaviors of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, communications, growth and problem-solving that also acknowledge the importance of a lifetime of personal development. The 6th behavior outlines how the practice of Civility leads to personal growth.

Civility emphasizes the crucial role of identifying, understanding and shaping personal perspectives, insights and world views. The 4 values of respect, acceptance, responsibility and public spiritedness require the individual to work on refining their world views. Similarly, the self-awareness and social awareness behaviors emphasize the need to clearly define and sometimes challenge real views as part of social discourse or civil dialogue.

1. Be Proactive (Google AI)

Stephen Covey’s Habit 1: “Be Proactive” relates to civility by placing the responsibility for respectful behavior on the individual rather than on external circumstances or other people’s actions. Being proactive means choosing to respond with values—such as kindness and respect—rather than reacting based on feelings, which fosters a more civil, constructive, and collaborative environment.

Choice of Response vs. Reaction: Covey argues that between a stimulus (e.g., someone being rude) and the response, there is a space to choose. Proactive individuals use this space to choose a civil, value-based response, rather than blindly reacting with anger or sarcasm, which would diminish civility.

Owning One’s Behavior: Proactive people do not blame their behavior on others or their environment (“he makes me so mad”). Instead, they act with accountability, knowing that their own conduct is a result of their own decisions.

Focus on the Circle of Influence: Proactive people focus on what they can control—their own attitude, language, and behavior. They understand that while they cannot control another person’s rudeness, they can control their own polite response, which can often improve the situation.

Proactive Language: Proactive people use language that implies choice, such as “I can,” “I will,” or “I choose”. This language is inherently more empowering and respectful than the reactive language of blame (“He makes me…”, “I have to…”).

Acting with Intention: Proactive individuals create a climate of respect, rather than waiting for others to do so. They take the initiative to communicate clearly, apologize for mistakes, and behave with kindness, which acts as a proactive driver of civility in professional and personal relationships.

By taking ownership of their behavior, proactive individuals stop blaming “out there” for their issues, thereby reducing conflict and increasing respectful interaction.

TK Summary: Strong overlap with Civility values of responsibility and intentionality, overlap with respect and constructiveness. Strong overlap with Civility behavior self-management, overlap with communication, self-awareness and social awareness. Civility is not about politeness, surface level choices, weakness or moderation. It focuses on making great choices and deeply owning those choices.

2. Begin With the End in Mind (Google AI)

Stephen Covey‘s second habit, Begin with the End in Mind, relates to civility by framing daily interactions as steps toward a long-term legacy of character and relationship quality. Instead of reacting to immediate frustrations, this principle encourages individuals to act according to their core values and the “end” they want to achieve in their personal and professional lives. 

In the context of civility, this habit manifests in several ways:

Relationship Preservation as the “End”: In conflict resolution, beginning with the end in mind means visualizing a successful outcome where the relationship is preserved or strengthened, rather than just “winning” an argument.

The Eulogy Exercise: Covey famously asks people to visualize their own funeral and consider what they want friends, family, and colleagues to say about their character. If you want to be remembered as kind, respectful, and fair, you must practice those civil behaviors in the present to make that “end” a reality.

Principle-Centered Living: By centering one’s life on unchanging principles like trust and honesty, an individual can maintain civil behavior even in the face of adversity, rather than being swayed by temporary emotions or external circumstances.

Intentional Communication: This habit encourages visualizing the desired atmosphere of a conversation or meeting before it begins. This mental “first creation” allows for more deliberate, empathetic, and respectful communication.

Living by Design, Not Default: Without a clear vision of who you want to be, you may fall into reactive, uncivil patterns dictated by pre-existing habits or others’ behaviors. Intentionally choosing your “end” goal empowers you to respond with civility by design.

TK Summary: The Civility values of respect and intentionality stand out, followed by human dignity and responsibility. The Civility behaviors of relationship management and self-management are essential here, also using self-awareness and problem-solving to create this habit.

3. Put First Things First (Google AI)

Stephen Covey’s “Put First Things First” habit relates to civility by prioritizing long-term relationship building, respect, and ethical behavior over reactive, urgent, but unimportant demands. It emphasizes investing time in people and principles, ensuring that how we treat others remains a top priority rather than an afterthought sacrificed for immediate, urgent tasks.

Key connections include:

Prioritizing Relationships: By focusing on Quadrant II (important but not urgent) activities, such as relationship building and proactive communication, people cultivate a respectful and supportive environment, rather than treating interactions as interruptions.

Proactive Self-Management: It requires managing oneself to live according to values, which prevents rushing, stress-induced rudeness, and, instead, fosters a calm, thoughtful approach to interactions.

Valuing People Over Tasks: It emphasizes that people and their well-being are paramount, ensuring that interacting with others is treated as a priority rather than a “low-priority” task compared to other work.

Preventing Ethical Crises: By acting on principles before they become urgent problems, individuals are more likely to behave with integrity and maintain professional civility.

TK Summary: Here, Covey focuses on the Civility values of human dignity and acceptance, supported by respect. He emphasizes the Civility behaviors of relationship management and self-management, supported by communications and personal growth.

4. Think Win-Win (Google AI)

Stephen Covey’s “Think Win-Win” habit (Habit 4) is directly related to civility by serving as a character-based code for interaction that requires mutual respect, emotional maturity, and the balance of courage and consideration. It builds a culture of trust and collaboration, replacing competitive “win-lose” mentalities with cooperative, respectful, and mutually beneficial relationships.

Key relationships between “Think Win-Win” and civility include:

Mutual Respect and Consideration: Win-win requires valuing other people’s needs as much as your own, which is the foundation of respectful communication.

Emotional Maturity: It requires the “courage” to express your own needs and the “consideration” to listen to others, forming the basis of mature, civil dialogue.

Abundance Mentality: It assumes there is enough for everyone, promoting a cooperative mindset over scarcity-driven competition, fostering generosity rather than selfishness.

Trust Building: By aiming for solutions where everyone feels satisfied, this habit builds long-term trust, which is the cornerstone of civil interaction.

Think Win-Win isn’t simply about being “nice”; it is a framework for ensuring that interactions are respectful, fair, and beneficial for all stakeholders.

TK Summary: The Civility value of true respect is first, augmented by acceptance, responsibility, intentionality and public-spiritedness. Self-management is the primary Civility behavior, accompanied by social awareness, relationship management, communications and problem-solving.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood (Google AI)

Stephen Covey’s habit of “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood” (Habit 5) is foundational to civility because it replaces judgmental listening with empathic listening, cultivating respect and validation in interactions. By prioritizing understanding over simply being right, it promotes patience, reduces conflict, and fosters deeper human connections.

Promotes Empathy & Respect: Instead of listening to respond or judge, this habit encourages listening with the intent to truly understand another person’s perspective and emotions.

Suspends Judgment: It fosters a mindset of pausing and suspending judgment, which is essential for treating others with dignity.

Builds Trust Through Validation: When others feel heard and understood, it gives them “psychological air,” encouraging a safe, collaborative environment rather than a combative one.

Combats Dehumanization: It forces one to see the person behind an argument or avatar, preventing the rush to judgment often found in poor, uncivil discourse.

Balance of Courage and Consideration: This habit teaches that true influence is built by combining kindness (seeking to understand) with courage (being understood), facilitating Win/Win outcomes.

TK Summary: Covey highlights the first 3 Civility values of human dignity, respect and acceptance. “Others” really, really matter. He then elevates the Civility behaviors of self-management and communications (active listening), complemented by social awareness and relationship management.

6. Synergize (Google AI)

Stephen Covey’s habit of Synergize (Habit 6) relates to Civility by fostering creative cooperation through valuing differences, empathetic listening, and seeking “third alternatives” (Win/Win) rather than conflict. It transforms respectful, polite communication into synergistic collaboration, treating diverse viewpoints as assets, not threats.

Key connections between synergy and civility include:

Valuing Differences: Synergy goes beyond mere tolerance (politeness) to truly valuing mental, emotional, and psychological differences, which is the foundation of a civil, inclusive society.

Empathetic Communication: Synergizing requires seeking first to understand others, creating a safe, respectful environment where individuals feel valued.

Moving Beyond Defensiveness: It replaces defensive, protective, or legalistic communication with open and honest dialogue.

Co-creation of Solutions: It actively seeks a “third way” that is better than either party’s original idea, promoting partnership rather than win-lose confrontations.

TK Summary: The Civility values of respect and acceptance are critical supports for synergy: a belief in interactive teamwork. The Civility behaviors of modern “best practices” communications and problem solving are required for synergy to deliver the goods.

7. Sharpen the Saw (Google AI)

Stephen Covey‘s 7th Habit, Sharpen the Saw, relates to civility by focusing on the social and emotional renewal required to interact with others respectfully and effectively. This habit emphasizes that a depleted or “dull” individual is more likely to be reactive, impatient, and ineffective in their relationships.

The relationship between “Sharpening the Saw” and civility manifests in several key ways:

Emotional Regulation and Reduced Reactivity

Preventing Burnout: Without regular renewal, emotions become “raw” and the spirit becomes insensitive.

Interpersonal Resilience: Leaders who prioritize physical and emotional self-care are less reactive and better prepared to handle interpersonal challenges with composure.

The “Private Victory”: Covey argues that personal renewal (the private victory) must precede successful public interactions (the public victory). Civility is difficult to maintain when one is operating from a state of exhaustion or stress. 

Social and Emotional Renewal

Empathetic Connection: Sharpening the “social saw” involves cultivating empathy and emotional intelligence, which are foundational to civil behavior.

Building the “Emotional Bank Account”: This habit encourages making “deposits” into others’ emotional bank accounts through courtesy, kindness, and honesty.

Interdependent Habits: Habit 7 makes Habits 4, 5, and 6 (Think Win-Win, Seek First to Understand, and Synergize) possible. These habits represent the core of civil and cooperative social interaction.

Principled Character Development

Alignment with Values: Renewal in the spiritual dimension involves committing to a value system that often includes integrity, kindness, and human dignity.

Civic Responsibility: By focusing on self-improvement, individuals increase their capacity to contribute positively to their community and maintain a “minimal model of a civic citizen”.

TK Summary: Covey calls out the Civility value of human dignity as essential to living a great life, followed by the importance of respect for others. This habit matches up directly with the Civility behavior of personal growth and notes the importance of self-management and social awareness in living a sustainable good life in the modern world.

Summary

Many of us lived through the “malaise” of the 1970’s and 1980’s as the US tried to digest the cultural revolution of the 1960’s, the political disappointments of Vietnam and Watergate, and the global economic revolution of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The US was no longer invincible. It was threatened on all sides. Covey’s book was a clarion call to refocus on “character”. Yet, it was not about a soft, countercultural “greening of America” or a naive return to 1950’s cultural certainties. It was about the tools required for individuals to survive and thrive in a complex, global, secular world. It was not a politically partisan approach.

His “7 habits” have stood the test of time. The crosswalk with Civility is very dense. He is focused on the individual looking for habits of successful personal development. Civility is focused on the minimal values and behaviors required to maintain Civil discourse at all levels of an interdependent society.

He strongly agrees that human dignity, respect and acceptance are required for every individual. Responsibility and intentionality are very important. Constructiveness and public-spiritedness matter.

Self-management, relationship management and effective communication skills are essential. Moderate self-awareness and social awareness are needed for success. Personal growth and problem-solving skills are also required.

We collectively have an obligation to define, teach and build Civility skills/behaviors and values for the benefit of our fellow citizens and society. The overlap with Stephen Covey’s highly successful “7 habits” tells me we’re on the right path.

The Ethics of Authenticity / The Malaise of Modernity (1991) – Charles Taylor – Good News

We’re MUCH Better Off in 2026 – Good News

The 8 Older Men and Civility

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The blind men and the elephant: Is perception reality?

In recent times, eight older men lived in an Indiana community. Each was successfully retired and quite confident. Their neighbors loved the older men and encouraged their breakfast group meetings. Since the older men were no longer actively engaged at work, they had to imagine how things really operated. They listened carefully to stories about the active world of business, government, politics, health care, science, and leadership told to them by others.

The men were curious about many of the stories they heard, but they were most curious about Civility as a super solution to social challenges. They were told that Civility could fix politics, solve tough problems, promote personal growth, reinsert facts and logic into debate, revive trust, social relationships and institutions, and restore the balance between individuals and community. 

They remembered Indiana as a very special place with great leaders. They recognized Birch and Evan Bayh, VP’s Quayle and Pence, representatives Lee Hamilton and Julia Carson, Indianapolis mayors Hudnut, Goldsmith, Petersen, Ballard and Hogsett, mayor and senator Lugar, but especially Governor Mitch Daniels.  They knew that Daniels had been effective for Indiana, America and Purdue.  Did Daniels believe in this Civility miracle solution?

The older men argued day and night about Civility. “Civility must be too simple,” claimed the first man. He had heard stories that it ignores real differences and big solutions.

“No, you must be wrong,” argued the second man. “Civility is complicated, combining values and habits in search of perfection.  That is why people struggle to follow it.”

“You’re wrong! Civility seeks compromise, the middle ground and the golden mean.  It combines the best that participants can offer,” said the third man.

“Please,” said the fourth man. “You are all mistaken. Civility grandly guarantees that it can solve all problems and conflicts! You know how people exaggerate.”

“How can you be so naïve,” exclaimed the fifth man.  “Civility simply rationalizes weak, overly sensitive behaviors that avoid conflict and deny human nature.”

“Civility ignores passion and the emotions,” cried the sixth man.  “It eliminates feelings, values, and intuitions by emphasizing cold rationality alone.”

“I am sure that Civility is a leftist plot,” said the seventh man. “That would explain why it emphasizes the importance and legitimacy of government.”

“On the contrary,” declared the eighth man. “Civility is a Republican scheme to return to the 1950’s with its mindless emphasis on a single culture, morality, character and values.”

Finally, the neighbors grew tired of all the arguments, and arranged for the curious men to visit the home office of Mr. Daniels to learn the truth about Civility.

When the men reached the home a half-hour ahead of schedule, they were greeted by an old friend who managed the governor’s visitors. Their friend led them to a waiting room where they watched a 10-minute video on Civility. The retired men quickly began to argue.

The first man stood up and exclaimed. “Civility is just common sense, nothing special.”

The second man misquoted the video. “Civility claims that all people can get along and all problems can be solved,” he announced.

The third man disagreed. “I was right,” he decided. “Civility is a tool of the powerful to maintain the status quo.”

The fourth man criticized Civility’s idealism. “What we have here,” he said, “is a sort of cult, invoking magical practices to reach utopian ends.”

The fifth man responded, “Civility is hopelessly weak because it asserts that strong emotions, interpersonal relations, sensitivity and hospitality can mend all fences.”

The sixth man stated, “Civility is very powerful.  It allows groups and individuals to acquire and use power for their own ends, while dismissing the needs and desires of others.”

The seventh man considered the actors in the presentation. “Civility elevates individuals and personal growth above church and community, so it must favor Democrats,” he said.

The eighth man was shocked. “Why, Civility is nothing more than a way for the powerful to reassert social control through norms, taboos and shunning,” he scoffed.

The governor’s aide led his friends to the kitchen. “Sit here and rest,” he said. “I will bring you something to drink.”

While they waited, the eight men talked about Civility.

“Civility is just politeness, rules and etiquette.  It is a surface level approach,” said the first man. “Surely we can finally agree on that.”

“Just politeness? Civility aims to transform men, institutions and society” answered the second man.

“Transformation?  Civility focuses just on process, promotes elite values and prevents real arguments and solutions” insisted the third man.

“It’s impossible for everyone to develop such powerful skills that effectively bridge real human differences,” said the fourth man.

“Civility merely assumes that better skills, processes and values can manage differences, conflicts and human nature through the forces of goodwill,” noted the fifth man.

“Civility provides a socially approved way for individuals to emphasize form over substance.  They can perform in a civil manner without really addressing the needs of others,” cautioned the sixth man.

“Socialist subjectivity and radical tolerance. There’s no doubt,” said the seventh man.

“Don’t you see?” pleaded the eighth man. “Civility is intended to keep us occupied and distracted by small issues and away from the larger issues of systematic injustice.  Someone is using Civility to trick us.”

Their argument continued and their shouts grew louder and louder.

“Too simple!” “Too complex!” “Too moderate!” “Too extreme!” “Too soft!” “Too hard!” “Too liberal!” “Too conservative!”

“Stop shouting!” called a very angry voice.

It was Purdue President emeritus Daniels, disturbed by the noisy argument.

“How can each of you be so certain you are right?” asked the former governor.

The eight men considered the question. And then, knowing the budget director to be a very wise man, they decided to say nothing at all.

“Civility combines values, skills and behaviors to solve problems and build relations,” said Mr. Daniels. “Each of you exaggerates the importance of only one part. Perhaps if you put the parts together, you will see the truth. Now, let me finish my morning in peace.”

When their friend returned with drinks, the eight men rested quietly, thinking about their leader’s advice.

“He is right,” said the first man. “To learn the truth, we must put all the parts together. Let’s discuss this on the journey home.”

The first man found his seat on the senior bus. The second man found his seat, and so on until all eight men were ready to travel together.

References (and apologies …)

Peace Corps – The Blind Men and the Elephant

Civility is Nonpartisan – Good News

Civility is Not Simple or Easy – Good News

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing – Good News

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing (2) – Good News

Civility is for Everyone! – Good News

Civility: Can’t We All Just Get Along? – Good News

Civility Resources (3): Politics

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Marshall Ramsey | Stuff from Marshall Ramsey’s brain.

Overview

The decline in social Civility appears in our politics MAGNIFIED. The same factors are at work, but political actors have not just lost some Civility skills, many have rejected and opposed Civility. We’ll address the role of differences and commonality, polarization, limits of classical liberalism and current conditions.

Political, Religious and Philosophical Differences

We have evolved 6-9 “political” constructs. They are natural. Different people, personalities, political groups and cultures emphasize some more than others. There is a difference between traditional and modern/postmodern cultures. Conservatives and liberals see the world differently.

Moral Foundations Theory of Politics – Good News

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion – 2012 (Part 1) – Good News

The Righteous Mind – Part 2 – Good News

Are those who see the world differently from me Evil? Wrong? Unworthy? Shunned? Ignorant? Clueless? Selfish? Childish? Possessed? Confused? Stunted? Misguided? Immoral? Greedy? Irrational? Emotional? Small-minded? Provincial? Utopian? Idealistic? Shortsighted? Prejudiced? Reactive? Limited? Deluded? Suckers? Hubristic? Elitist?

Civility: Can’t We All Just Get Along? – Good News

Our Political Differences are NOT Going Away; And That’s OK – Good News

Moral Intuitions, Personality and Politics … Oh My! – Good News

We Have More in Common Than You Think – Good News

Words for Who We Are in Common – Good News

Polarization

We have become more and more polarized; partly by choice and partly by accident. Improved social Civility can help to fix this.

Causes of Increased Political Polarization – Good News

One Page: Why We’re Polarized – Klein (2020) – Good News

Why We’re Polarized 2020 – Good News

The New American Right, Daniel Bell, 1955 – Good News

Classical Liberalism Needs a Moral Basis

One Page: Liberalism and Its Discontents – Fukuyama (2022) – Good News

Liberalism and Its Discontents – Francis Fukuyama 2022 – Good News

Fukuyama: Identity (2018) – Good News

Recent Politics

Framing What Matters Most in America: 2023 – Good News

Politics Ain’t Beanbag: Diagnosing the 2024 Presidential Election – Good News

Serve the American People – Good News

It Gets Even Worse – Good News

Who Will Defend Democracy? – Good News

Civility Resources (5): Action

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Overview

Civility is based on values, but the practice of Civility is about behavior and habits that can be learned and improved. Inspiration connects the Civility values with the Civility behaviors. Civility is a social norm subject to the laws of virtuous and vicious cycles. The widespread re-adoption of Civility as a social norm faces many challenges.

Behaviors/Habits

Civility is a set of behaviors that recognizes differences and builds mutual respect.

  1. Self-awareness
  2. Self-management
  3. Social awareness
  4. Relationship management
  5. Communications
  6. Growth
  7. Problem-solving

Civility is Really About 7 Behaviors – Good News

We now understand how humans behave. We are imperfect and amazing. We have the ability to balance the individual and the other, the individual and the community, the individual and spirit/God.

Civility is based upon the human dignity of each individual. The modern “cognitive science” approach embraces this insight. It offers tools to make our lives more effective, meaningful and satisfying. Civil individuals should invest time to master these subjects.

Civility: Cognitive Science to the Rescue – Good News

Cultures exist because individuals need to be combined into communities. Without cultural norms, expectations, education, rewards, penalties and taboos there wouldn’t be any culture, community or civilization.  This requires society – and its leaders and influencers – to clearly define select important aspirational values AND to define what is TABOO, poison, shunned, beyond the pale, unacceptable, and rejected by all.

Civility Taboos – Good News

Cultural Norm/Virtuous Cycle

Civility is a set of behaviors based upon a set of values. It is adopted and grown by individuals based upon their conscious and unconscious experiences. The practice of Civility tends to promote Civility in others. Unchecked incivility tends to destroy Civility. 

Civility as a Dynamic System – Good News

Inspiration

Civility offers direct and indirect benefits to individuals. In the end, it is both a practical and a moral choice. We live in a “secular age” where the received religious views can be challenged by well-meaning people. My belief is that our “classical liberal” democracy requires the support of a Civility subset of values. I also believe that our secular society requires this same subset of values to facilitate the interactions and transactions of modern life. I believe that almost all individuals can justify Civility values, behaviors and skill development on a practical basis alone. I hope that the 15 benefits described below will help everyone to make the right choice.

Civility: What’s In It for Me? – Good News

15 inspiring reasons to embrace Civility for ourselves and others.

Inspiring Civility – Good News

The “heart” is the source of our best thoughts, feelings and actions, including acting Civilly in daily life which builds the skills, influence and expectations to require Civility in our political world.

Healing the Heart of Democracy – Good News

Some personality types are more passionate about Civility, but all are welcome.

Civil Personality Types – Good News

We must have hopes, ideals and dreams.

Dream the Impossible Dream – Good News

Challenges

Civility encompasses values and behaviors, a dynamic process and personal growth. It offers a process solution to our common differences and potential conflicts. It has many component parts that change through time for each person. The core components can be learned and applied by everyone. The basics are easy. Practicing and perfecting Civility values and skills is the good work of a lifetime, worthy of our human dignity.

Civility is Not Simple or Easy – Good News

Civility is supported by left and right in America’s political history. Modern techniques for most effective group interactions and negotiations are neutral. The values that support Civility are neutral. Civility takes no stand on modern political issues. The latest attempt to define the “righteous” bases for politics provides no dimension opposed to civility. Civility can be used as a bipartisan base for our democracy and our day-to-day interactions.

Civility is Nonpartisan – Good News

Civility is not politeness, utopian, weak, emotional, partisan, righteous or apologetic. It can be used by the most serious, radical individuals to refine their own skills, engage with others and attempt to find common ground and understanding. It seeks to find solutions and to build relations. It seeks to undermine polarization. It does not prevent leftists or rightists from highlighting systematic injustices or threats to individual rights and liberties in our economic, political and social worlds.

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing – Good News

The populist wing of the Republican party sounds like the far-left wing of the Democratic party. Civility is a tool of the other guys, unfair, biased, inadequate, ineffective, unreliable, soft, emotional and too slow. The Civility approach doesn’t support the simple polarizing approach of modern politics. It emphasizes facts, logic, values clarification, optimal means, compromises, discovery, short and long run trade-offs, all of the tools of the modern negotiator’s kitbag. It accepts that profound differences may remain in our political, economic and social realms. 

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing (2) – Good News

Civility is easy to caricature and dismiss. Simplistic “straw man” versions are easy to attack. It is a moderate and moderating approach, so some might call it conservative. It values interactions, feedback, process, learning and growth, so some might label it liberal.

Civility is for Everyone! – Good News

Civility does require personal work and interactions. We have a much better understanding of the components of Civility today. It offers a scalable solution to our many problems. It can be developed one step at a time. It can be used in all arenas of life. It can be taught to everyone. We can re-establish Civility as a social norm. Like other social norms, there is a virtuous cycle/network effect that leverages our progress. Modern social science classes provide very effective tools and classes to build our skills. Civility has personal benefits, especially a sense of personal agency. It has benefits for the institutions of modern life that can invest and promote it. Civility is a personal choice that cannot be prevented by groups that oppose it. Civility is a “no brainer”. We have the opportunity to re-establish it for the benefit of all.

Restoring Civility: Overcoming Obstacles – Good News

Many Civility behaviors are strongly natural. Some are not.

Civility: Nature versus Nurture – Good News

Restoring Civility: Overcoming Obstacles

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https://www.hoover.org/research/restoring-civility-hostile-world

Basic Steps

Individuals who believe in Civility as a solution to what ails us as a society should take the basic steps of learning more about the Civility movement and then joining with one of the many grass-roots groups to share the content of Civility, especially the 7 values and 7 behaviors, with others. This is classic membership and communications work. There are many personal and community benefits from practicing and promoting Civility.

Civility: What’s In It for Me?
Inspiring Civility

Help others to understand the solid content of modern Civility and remove the misunderstandings that Civility is politeness, utopian, weak, emotional, partisan, righteous and apologetic. There is much work required to refine and promote the true Civility brand.

Civility is for Everyone!
Civility is Nonpartisan

Improve your personal Civility skills.

Civility is Really About 7 Behaviors
Civility: Cognitive Science to the Rescue

Review and commit to the underlying values that support Civility.

The 7 Civility Values are Supported by World Religions

Apply your skills and insights in a single environment or community. Civility combines thinking, feeling and doing to create improved habits. Civility applies in family, social, political, educational and business environments. Your example can be contagious.

Recognize that Civility is a social norm. Social norms are reinforced by society. We have lost some of this social norm but can rebuild it by changing the insights, skills and behavior of a relatively small number of individuals, especially influential people, like my readers. Civility is not utopian. Its supporters don’t believe that we can change human nature. But we do see the viral, social networking, virtuous cycle nature of growing Civility as a practice and expectation throughout our society. We don’t need everyone to participate or each of us to be excellent in order to win; re-establishing a self-reinforcing set of norms. We just need to reach critical mass.

Research and share the amazing power that Civility has to address 6 of our social ills: radical individualism, weak aspects of human nature, skepticism, imperfect myths, our secular age and insecurity.

The Power of Civility

Politics

Don’t despair about politics. We have experienced polarized politics about important issues throughout history. The Civility movement aims to be nonpartisan, so it hesitates to offer specific structural “solutions” to our political challenges. It seeks to improve the Civility skills and values of all citizens, respecting the human dignity of every person, becoming more intentional and constructive and holding politicians accountable. We believe that this accountability for citizens and political leaders is the most important factor in reforming our political activities. It is directly actionable

Invite political actors and parties to adopt Civility as the core of their work. Many today don’t practice Civility. They blame “the other guy”. It will take time to make this happen, but we will re-establish this basic standard for representing our communities.

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing
Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing (2)
Don’t Be a Political Victim (Right)
Don’t Be a Political Victim (Left)
Civility Pledges

Civility is Not Trivial

We define Civility as primarily a set of behaviors, a set of habits. Habits are not easy to create. They are not easy to maintain. They are not easy to improve. Civility calls for specific habits in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, communications, growth and problem solving! Yes, it looks like a master’s degree in counseling, family therapy, psychology or organizational development! Effective communications, relations and problem solving are critical skills for modern life. They can be learned as children, youths, young adults and mature adults. They apply in all spheres of life.

Civility is modestly complex, integrating 7 values and 7 sets of behaviors. It integrates thinking, feeling and doing. It is an applied skill with theoretical supports. It requires practice and feedback to build and improve habits. It must be practiced in social settings, which may not be supportive. It requires an investment of time, attention, vulnerability, emotions and discipline. Civility, per se, is not required to perform basic life functions, so it can be ignored to some degree today. Like other moral systems, Civility is aspirational. There is no end to the possible improvements in our skills or the application of the values. Hence, it is sometimes frustrating. We prefer to have “achievement” type goals which can be completed just once.

Civility requires a big commitment. As noted in the first two articles, it provides great personal and community benefits. The 7 Civility values are supported by the major world religions, most cultures and professions. Civility insights and behaviors are applied throughout life. Not everyone will invest deeply in Civility. Those who choose to invest will be repaid multiple times.

Civility is Not Simple or Easy

Radical Individualism

As noted in the “Power of Civility” article, Civility provides a required community counterbalance to individualism. As Jonathan Haidt describes it, we’re 90% selfish chimps and 10% cooperative bees. Civility requires us to balance this dual nature. It embraces public-spiritedness as a core value, requiring us to look at the social dimensions of our thoughts, relations and decisions. This balance is not easy to decide or maintain. Different political, religious, philosophical and cultural systems take different positions.

Civility encourages us to become comfortable with considering, advocating and living these choices while respecting the different choices of others. In this sense, Civility is a “classical liberal” approach to managing our individual roles within society. We start with the individual and believe that our processes, norms and institutions will protect our individual rights as we resolve differences.

We are individualists who fear the infringement of our liberties and liberties by any powerful organizations. We don’t want a secular or religious culture that strongly limits our freedoms of thought, speech, religion, assembly, protection or property. Civility provides a set of tools that protects these rights while also considering the competing claims of communities at all levels.

We note that our individualistic society allows individuals to withdraw to their own choices and provision of goods and services with limited social interactions. We think that this allows individuals to ignore their responsibilities to the community. We live in an interdependent world. The “rugged individualist” cannot survive in the modern world. Civility asks each person to consider the community dimension of their behavior, speech and politics. Civility argues that individual rights and community responsibilities can coexist for everyone – with a wide variety of beliefs.

Civility does not guarantee success. It is a tool that can help the individual and the community.

What’s The Root Cause of Our Problems?: Radical Individualism

Human Nature

Civility’s ability to bring out the best in human nature is described in the “Power of Civility” article.

Civility accepts that we can be selfish, exaggerate our own views, diminish the views of others and rationalize actions and non-actions to our own benefit.

We have a limited attention span. We struggle to truly multi-task. We let our subconscious do much of the work. We don’t challenge or articulate our political, religious, philosophical and cultural views. We have world views. We act relatively consistently. We defend/rationalize our views as needed. In general, we don’t use our slow and rational faculties. We tend to be self-righteous about our views.

We are morally imperfect. Even with practice, experience and social pressure, we still do what we know we shouldn’t do AND don’t do what we know we should. We reject feedback and social pressure even when it is in our own interest.

We hold different political and religious views. We have different interests, talents and personalities. Living together and reaching agreement is difficult, even with the best of intentions and Civility habits.

Civility accepts our shortcomings and offers a program to do the best we can with what we’ve got.

We Have More in Common Than You Think
Our Political Differences are NOT Going Away; And That’s OK
Moral Intuitions, Personality and Politics … Oh My!
What’s the Root Cause of Our Problems?: Human Nature

Insecurity

“The Power of Civility” article outlines how Civility can help us to improve security in a world that feels more insecure each day.

Humans crave security at the base level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Security is based upon perceived threats and risks. In a complex, urban, technological, global, secular, meritocratic world we’re insecure more often. We react by trying to build security. We seek certainty through our beliefs and groups. We avoid risks. We avoid “others”. We prejudge. We feel like victims. We buy security.

Civility requires a degree of openness, trust and interaction that is difficult when we feel insecure.

Individuals are encouraged to practice and build Civility skills in safe environments before flexing them in more difficult places.

Experience applying Civility skills can help us to better understand the size, likelihood and impact of risks and to understand our power to manage those situations effectively. An experienced negotiator, communicator, leader, volunteer, seller, and consumer is well-positioned to thrive and minimize significant threats.

What’s the Root Cause of Our Problems?: Insecurity
Historical Events; Fear and Insecurity

Imperfect Myths/Our Secular Age

Civility is required because we live in society and we no longer live in a world where the religious, social, economic and political are merged into Christendom or even in a world where Christian moral values, imperfectly applied, prevail as social norms. We live in a “classical liberal” political system based upon individual rights and freedoms. It was created 250 years ago when a common Christian moral system prevailed. It is based upon the assumption that individuals have a core set of moral values in common.

Civility is based upon the core values of human dignity, respect, acceptance, responsibility, constructiveness, intentionality and public-spiritedness. These values are adequate to support all of the desired Civility behaviors. Some proponents of the “classical liberal” political system argue that it must not incorporate a subset of moral values because there is no way to evaluate these values without starting with a full-blown moral system. These groups have argued with the modern communitarians and been unable to find common ground. We advocate the 7 Civility values on a pragmatic basis. They are required to drive the Civility behaviors. We need the Civility behaviors to live together.

I don’t think many citizens will reject these values because they are somehow inconsistent with the theory of our political system.

What’s The Root Cause of Our Problems?: Imperfect Myths
What’s the Root Cause of Our Problems?: Our Secular Age

Summary

The grass-roots efforts to restore Civility have accelerated in the last 2 decades. Politicians and journalists have leveraged modern media and social media to appeal to the lower angels of human nature in order to monetize attention. In a world without a dominant religion, political philosophy or culture, we have a clear need for help in addressing our major social and political system challenges.

Civility does require personal work and interactions. We have a much better understanding of the components of Civility today. It offers a scalable solution to our many problems. It can be developed one step at a time. It can be used in all arenas of life. It can be taught to everyone. We can re-establish Civility as a social norm. Like other social norms, there is a virtuous cycle/network effect that leverages our progress. Modern social science classes provide very effective tools and classes to build our skills. Civility has personal benefits, especially a sense of personal agency. It has benefits for the institutions of modern life that can invest and promote it. Civility is a personal choice that cannot be prevented by groups that oppose it. Civility is a “no brainer”. We have the opportunity to re-establish it for the benefit of all.

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing (2)

tomkapostasy3 Comments

Mirror Images of Extremism

I reviewed and dismissed the “far left” challenges to the Civility movement today. The populist Republican opposition is similarly “surface level”.

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing

Google AI Summary of Republican Party Opposition to Civility

Based on the provided search results, opposition from some members or factions of the Republican Party toward certain “civility movements” often stems from the view that such movements are used to silence legitimate political opposition, stifle aggressive accountability, or protect a “woke agenda”. The Conversation

The arguments and perspectives from the search results suggest several reasons for this opposition:

View of Civility as Political Suppression: Some conservatives argue that calls for “civility” are a tool used by the left to de-legitimize passionate, tough, and direct opposition to their policies.

“Us-Versus-Them” Mentality: There is a belief among some, reflected in remarks by leaders like Mike Pence, that political rivals are not just wrong, but actively advancing an immoral or dangerous agenda, making compromise or polite discourse feel counterproductive to them.

Belief in Confrontational Politics: Many, particularly in the populist wing of the party, believe in aggressive, combative tactics that grab attention and stir up the base, rather than polite, quiet debate.

Perception of Double Standards: Some conservatives feel that the mainstream media and cultural institutions enforce a double standard, demanding civility from the right while overlooking harsh rhetoric or actions from the left.

Focus on Radical Change: Some Republicans view the current political climate as existential, where they are fighting to protect traditional values against rapid, fundamental societal changes, making “polite disagreement” feel inadequate.

Distrust of Elite Narratives: There is a strong feeling that the “civility movement” is promoted by the same “educated elite” that they believe has rigged the system, and that this movement is a way to stop conservatives from challenging that system.

These factors suggest that opposition to the “civility movement” is often not an opposition to polite behavior itself, but a rejection of what they perceive as a strategic tool to weaken their political power and silence their opposition. 

https://theconversation.com/democratic-and-republican-voters-both-love-civility-but-the-bipartisan-appeal-is-partly-because-nobody-can-agree-on-what-civility-is-193061#:~:text=They%20value%20civility%2C%20but%20hold,important%20matters%20to%20get%20heated.

https://www.ohiosenate.gov/news/the-democratic-standard/what-do-republicans-really-want-civility-or-civil-war#:~:text=The%20most%20glaring%20omission%20from,not%20the%20fault%20of%20Democrats.

https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/magazine/2013/january/a-case-for-civility#:~:text=Lugar’s%20loss%20in%20the%202012,media%2C%20particularly%20on%20the%20Internet.

https://www.hoover.org/research/restoring-civility-hostile-world#:~:text=If%20you%20read%20Haidt%2C%20you,heard%20a%20word%20about%20it?&text=Haidt%20also%20says%20people%20get,You’re%20making%20my%20case.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10396794/#:~:text=Abstract,political%20incivility%20than%20previously%20thought.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/06/28/heres-how-political-science-explains-the-gops-obsession-with-civility/

State of the Debate: The Case Against “Civility”
Don’t Be a Political Victim (Right)
Don’t Be a Political Victim (Left)

Response

  1. Civility promotes communications as the only means to recognize existing or potential common ground. Civility does not prefer moderate political positions or the “conventional wisdom” of a time or political party. Civility does not oppose radically different positions on political issues, only the expression of positions which demonize the opposite position or its supporters. Robust debate is an essential part of what was once quaintly called “civil discourse”. Republicans are mistakenly merging Civility with the alleged restriction of “free speech” by some universities, organizations and media outlets. Civility requires partisans to clearly express their values, interests and policies in order to identify potential shared interests and evaluate differences.
  2. Civility is based upon the values of human dignity, respect and constructiveness. Participants are encouraged to set aside political differences and respect their common interests and humanity. The effective techniques of Civility separate the person from the policy. The Civility movement accepts and embraces differences as natural and unavoidable. https://tomkapostasy.com/2025/03/02/our-political-differences-are-not-going-away-and-thats-ok/
  3. The Civility approach emphasizes rational conversation, interaction, evaluation and compromise. It does not discourage passionate expression of interests. It recognizes people as thinking, feeling and doing creatures. It argues that lasting resolution of policy disagreements requires better understanding and full participation of all interested parties. Short-term tactical victories are unlikely to be sustained without some “meeting of the minds”. This warning is especially relevant at the state and local level of politics and in daily life.
  4. There certainly are cultural and media institutions with left-wing or right-wing biases. They are often blinded by their biases and use all of the tools of modern communications and social media to slant their messages and unfairly consider their opponents. Civility attempts to hold them to account. It promotes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. It is based upon the values of respect, responsibility and constructiveness. https://tomkapostasy.com/2026/01/25/the-7-civility-values-are-supported-by-world-religions/ https://tomkapostasy.com/2025/12/09/civility-is-really-about-7-behaviors/
  5. Civility is based upon the traditional values of human dignity, respect, acceptance, responsibility, constructiveness, intentionality and public-spiritedness. It is firmly grounded in the traditions of Western civilization and liberal democracy. Civility is not biased towards a far-left, postmodernist, secular society free of social norms and community. It recognizes the tension between the individual and the community, traditional and modern (WEIRD) and postmodern values but remains agnostic regarding the best solution other than the preservation of a communications and problem-solving framework. https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/7heEBq7oZnMvbSbJa/weird-morality#:~:text=purview%20of%20morality.-,Moral%20Foundations%20Theory,sanctity/degradation
  6. Civility is based upon 7 widely held values and 7 commonly taught behaviors. It does not prioritize any social, political, economic or educational elite. It outlines a set of specific behaviors that lead to effective communications and problem solving in all dimensions of life. Practitioners at any social level can benefit directly or indirectly. https://tomkapostasy.com/2025/10/25/civility-whats-in-it-for-me/ https://tomkapostasy.com/2025/11/30/inspiring-civility/

Summary

The populist wing of the Republican party sounds like the far-left wing of the Democratic party. Civility is a tool of the other guys, unfair, biased, inadequate, ineffective, unreliable, soft, emotional and too slow. The Civility approach doesn’t support the simple polarizing approach of modern politics. It emphasizes facts, logic, values clarification, optimal means, compromises, discovery, short and long run trade-offs, all of the tools of the modern negotiator’s kitbag. It accepts that profound differences may remain in our political, economic and social realms. It is fundamentally a “glass half-full” approach. Civility argues that its approach is much more effective in the long run in finding reasonable solutions, minimizing deep pain for those who disagree and maintaining relationships that promote future solutions.

Opposition to Civility is Unconvincing

tomkapostasy4 Comments
The confusion between civility and neutrality

Google AI Summary of the Critics

Opposition to the “civility movement”—often defined as calls for politeness, bipartisanship, and adherence to traditional political norms—comes from a diverse range of political activists, scholars, and grassroots organizers. These groups often argue that demands for civility are used to silence marginalized voices, protect the status quo, or impede necessary, radical social change.

Groups and movements that have historically or currently opposed the politics of civility include:

Progressive and Racial Justice Activists: Activists often argue that “civility” is weaponized as a tool to control the tone of marginalized groups demanding equality. Critics argue that calls for polite discourse prioritize the comfort of the privileged over the urgency of justice for Black people and other people of color.

Radical Social Change Movements: Movements seeking fundamental overhauls of the social order—such as abolitionists (historically) and modern anti-racism advocates—often argue that civility is a barrier to progress.

Direct Action Groups (e.g., ACT-UP): Groups that engage in disruptive, non-violent direct action (like blocking traffic or occupying spaces) reject the idea that protest must be polite to be effective. They argue that confrontational tactics are necessary when facing systemic violence or oppression.

Anti-Colonial and Anti-Racist Theoreticians: Scholars like Alex Zamalin argue that there is a “hidden racism” in the obsession with civility, which has historically been used to suppress dissent.

Leftist Political Activists: Some on the far-left view calls for “bipartisanship” as a capitulation to extreme right-wing positions, arguing that when one side is engaged in extreme, discriminatory behavior, civil engagement is not appropriate.

Grassroots Organizers: Many grassroots movements prioritize immediate, material results (such as policy change or equality) over the “etiquette” of political engagement, arguing that systemic issues require challenging, rather than upholding, existing norms.

https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/instead-calls-civility-we-need-civic-radicalism-14-political-science-graduate-his-latest-book#:~:text=Instead%2C%20they%20are%20disruptive%2C%20they,movement%20led%20by%20Ida%20B.

Civility and/or Social Change?

.https://medium.com/@carolinegracestefko/the-problem-with-civility-d7302a027f1e

.https://www.vice.com/en/article/5-activists-who-bucked-civility-to-spark-lasting-social-change/#:~:text=Emma%20Goldman,a%20forum%20for%20birth%20control.

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/03/14/700897826/when-civility-is-used-as-a-cudgel-against-people-of-color#:~:text=Even%20after%20passage%20of%20the,entire%20table%20would%20be%20tossed.

The Case Against Civility in Politics

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-gay-activists-challenged-politics-civility-180969579/#:~:text=Disrupting%20public%20space%20and%20blocking,We%20were%20doing%20something%20righteous.%E2%80%9D

https://www.wunc.org/2019-03-14/when-civility-is-used-as-a-cudgel-against-people-of-color

Uncivil disobedience in an uncivil society

Response

  1. As the Braver Angels article outlines, Civility is not a noncommittal moderate neutrality. It does not prefer the “status quo”. It is not predisposed to centrist or moderate solutions. It does not promote being soft of weak. Many of the critics are simply creating a “strawman” of the term “Civility” in order to destroy it.
  2. Critics call Civility a tool of the powerful. It can be a tool of the powerful. It can be a tool for anyone that uses its powerful values and proven techniques for better communications and problem solving.
  3. These critics argue that Civility is biased to the right. I address this in a separate post.
Civility is Nonpartisan

4. Critics say that Civility is used as a distraction or diversion from important issues. It can be used that way, but it is designed to engage people and groups with different experiences, values and interests to engage in order to pursue their ends without demonizing each other. By establishing common interests, agreeing upon terms of engagement and committing to working with “others”, Civility provides a means to address even the most difficult issues. It does not guarantee a solution. It accepts that “no deal” or “walk away” are valid results.

5. Critics say that Civility leads to a “false equivalency” between different groups, people or views. It is claimed to implicitly support comments like Trump’s comments on immigrants “and some, I assume, are good people” and some white-nationalist protesters are “very good people”. Civility is based upon the properly defined values of human dignity, respect and constructiveness. Some people might incorrectly interpret these values as supporting complete tolerance for all positions and actions.

6. Critics argue that successful political movements have been active, disruptive, powerful and direct; not civil. The historical record is mixed. Civility is firmly situated within the last 250 years of Western civilization and liberal democracy. It believes that structures, processes, information and education are powerful tools to combine the interests of individuals while also protecting their rights and freedoms.

The 7 Civility Values are Supported by World Religions

7. Critics claim that Civility inherently benefits the radical-right, fascist-right by delaying action through unlimited debate. Civility has no inherent bias towards fast or slow engagement and problem resolution. It focuses on the behaviors of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, communications, growth and problem solving. Starting with the values of responsibility, intentionality and constructiveness it is inherently proactive rather than reactive.

Civility is Really About 7 Behaviors

8. Critics say that some people, groups and positions are “so offensive” that they are not entitled to a place at the table. They argue that the Civility movement validates these extremists. Proponents of Civility as a set of tools, habits and values to support constructive social, economic and political engagement do lean towards more tolerance, but the Civility values and behaviors take no stance on this controversial topic. Civility is not a replacement for religion, political or philosophical views. It is a reasoned approach to defining a process that can/should be broadly adopted by our individualistic society in order for it to function effectively. In order to be a neutral process, it does not address these larger questions.

Civility and DEI

Summary

The modern Civility movement was started in the 1990’s as polarized politics and lack of trust in people and institutions grew in the US. The Civility values and behaviors have been refined to clarify what Civility is and is not. Civility is not politeness, utopian, weak, emotional, partisan, righteous or apologetic. It can be used by the most serious, radical individuals to refine their own skills, engage with others and attempt to find common ground and understanding. It seeks to find solutions and to build relations. It seeks to undermine polarization. It does not prevent leftists or rightists from highlighting systematic injustices or threats to individual rights and liberties in our economic, political and social worlds. It seeks to radically improve the effectiveness of our politics and communications to make the world a better place, to make individuals more powerful and to hold each other accountable.

Intentionality is a Universal Value That Drives Civility

tomkapostasy3 Comments

.https://discipleship.org/blog/intentional-re-conformity/

7 Civility Values

Civility Values

Civility is a set of behaviors based upon the seven commonly held values of: human dignity, respect, acceptance, intentionality, responsibility, constructiveness and public-spiritedness. A social, political and economic society must have some core beliefs, norms and behaviors. The modern renaissance of Civility attempts to define the beliefs, norms and behaviors so they can be shared and promoted. We need to be confident that we know what Civility is, how we should behave, how/why we should influence others and why the underlying principles make sense.

Intentionality Defined

Having a deliberate plan or purpose before acting. An internal state of mind where an individual consciously chooses a course of action to achieve a specific outcome.

Intentionality weaves together two mental dimensions. It is purposeful, planned, logical, forward looking, rational, process-oriented, habitual, structured, informed, calculated, contextual, goal-oriented, practical, scope limited, applied and instrumental!

It is also deliberate, chosen, willful, volitional, proactive, conscious, engaged and intended.

Intentionality is a complement to responsibility, which refers to accountability for actions and consequences.

Taken together, they encourage us to be fully responsible for our choices, actions, consequences and relations. We are to consider all dimensions and make great choices. We are obligated to clearly define goals and seriously pursue them. We have human agency and a responsibility to be self-aware of our choices. We are obligated to work towards becoming mature, balanced, prudent, wise adults.

Intentionality is crucial to Civility because it:

Promotes proactivity over passivity.

Supports conscious, deliberate and purposeful commitment to treating others with respect, courtesy, and dignity.

Encourages self-awareness in decision making, including considering the impacts on others.

Challenges us to define our goals on a deep philosophical, spiritual or religious basis and seriously aligning our decisions and behavior with them.

Focuses on goal-oriented thinking which includes the goals of building relationships, trust and safe communities.

Emphasizes our shared responsibility for defining, supporting and reinforcing the rules of civil behavior that are mutually beneficial.

Recognizes that we are responsible for systematically evaluating, building and improving our behaviors and expectations and the norms and institutions of our communities.

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Buddhism

Hinduism

Taoism

Shintoism

Confucianism

Secular Humanism

Summary

The major religions offer support for being rational, considering context and consequences, being calm, balanced, focused and purposeful, but they mainly emphasize the spiritual, emotional and willful dimensions of intentionality. They encourage us to:

  1. Begin with the end in mind (Covey). Know, follow, engage and align with God’s will or the structure of the universe. Use the power of this knowledge and connection (holy spirit) to make the best choices.
  2. Make decisions based upon values and principles, not self-interest or practical concerns alone.
  3. Be aware, conscious, fully present in life and making decisions. You are an agent.
  4. Be proactive.
  5. Be self-aware and self-disciplined.
  6. Invest in spiritual growth to understand and connect with God/universe which will improve decision making in a self-improving cycle.
  7. Cultivate the heart and compassion as a basis for choices.
  8. Sincerity and proper personal intentions are critical for making choices that deliver good results and which align the person with God/universe.

An intentional person is serious about defining/prioritizing goals, making good decisions and improving themselves.

I sometimes think about “intentionality” as the weakest or marginal Civility value. Major religions consider it to be essential for a good life.

Management Effectiveness Has More Than Doubled in the Last 50 Years!!!!

tomkapostasy3 Comments

https://www.gm.com/heritage/collection/chevrolet/1976-chevrolet-chevette

The Chevy Chevette was the best product of the largest and most successful corporation in 1976. [WOWSER] It was marginally better than the Corvair or the Vega. Major US corporations had taken advantage of the post-WWII opportunity to produce for the world and perfected minor changes each year to further stimulate consumer demand. Functional roles in corporations were largely unchanged since the 1920’s. Japanese competition in the auto and consumer electronics industries in the 1970’s caused American corporations to eventually reinvent themselves and move into a world of perpetual change management.

It’s difficult to describe the size and impact of these changes. They were like a compounded series of paradigm shifts. I worked with many organizations from 1975-1989: Koppers, Avery Label, Sherwin-Williams, multiple S&L’s, United Telephone, AmeriTrust, E&Y, Tandy Radio Shack, EDS, IBM, Microsoft, GM, NASA, Zenith, Allison Transmission, City of Cleveland, McCormick Convention Center, Amway, US Navy, US Health & Human Services, Lorain Community College, Baldwin-Wallace University and the University of South Florida.

I completed a finance MBA at Case Western Reserve University in 1984. I joined Ernst & Young as a junior management consultant and learned from Dr. E. Leonard Arnoff, one of the founders of the discipline of operations research.

https://www.informs.org/Explore/History-of-O.R.-Excellence/Biographical-Profiles/Arnoff-E.-Leonard

FEW of the most important concepts and skills of my 35-year professional career existed or were rarely applied in 1984. The smartest academic and business leaders were aware of some of the changes that would shape the next 50 years, but the typical 1984 manager was still working from a 1930’s view of business.

I’ll group the more than 100 HUGE advances into 6 categories.

Strategy

  1. Strategy really matters. A strategy function is needed.
  2. Competitive advantage is critical (Michael Porter).
  3. Companies cannot be all things to all people.
  4. Strategy is a process to focus and facilitate thinking, not a mainly a means of control.
  5. Market leaders have a better chance of winning. Better to be a leader in a small market segment than a follower in a large one. Long-tail opportunities.
  6. In many markets, leading market share (1, 2 or 3) is essential.
  7. Product differentiation is required to avoid commodity pricing.
  8. Universal customer needs of quality, speed, flexibility, value (price and function), information/transaction costs and personal relations/risk management can all be used for product differentiation. A customer centric strategic view is necessary.
  9. SWOT analysis is essential. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
  10. Mission, vision and values must be articulated. Begin with the end in mind.
  11. Firms must choose between equity alone and multiple stakeholder priorities.
  12. Modelling and simulation tools can be used to identify, understand and prioritize the critical dimensions of every firm.
  13. International and startup competition must always be considered.
  14. Professional functions within each firm are increasingly essential.
  15. A 3-way strategic choice must be considered: low cost, product differentiation or customer intimacy.
  16. Successful firms clearly articulate abstract ends and flex the means of attainment (Collins).
  17. The customer and retail interface may have more power than the manufacturer/service provider.
  18. Smaller firms are available to be purchased in a roll-up strategy.
  19. In the end, dynamic, sustainable [moats] strategies have the greatest value.
  20. China matters.
  21. As firms become more strategically driven, the fixed costs of SG&A rose, requiring firms to prioritize growth and market share.
  22. Intangible assets may be more important than tangible assets.

Marketing

  1. Market size is essential. Market share is next.
  2. Marketing research of customer preferences matters.
  3. Branding is vital.
  4. Focus groups can provide separate insights and validate numbers.
  5. The marketing function exists to create value, not just sell things.
  6. Targeted marketing is essential. Products must match differentiated markets.
  7. Some customers value quality and reliability.
  8. Some customers value timely delivery.
  9. Digital marketing channels supplement analog channels.
  10. In the digital world, search engine optimization [SEO] matters.
  11. E-commerce is a competitor to analog delivery.
  12. Internet promotion is a competitor of traditional media.
  13. Individuals’ identity and social interests can be targeted.
  14. Some customers are better targeted by 2-way communications or influencers.
  15. Politicians, regulators and courts increasingly matter, and firms must invest accordingly.
  16. Tariffs matter. Firms must invest to manage them.

Finance

  1. Access to debt, equity and start-up financing is much easier.
  2. Access to global investors is possible.
  3. More efficient markets through mutual funds, ETF’s, derivatives, and efficient trading markets matter.
  4. Portfolio management applies to investments, projects, product lines, channels and new product development.
  5. Marginal costs/benefits apply to every activity and project.
  6. Cash and management accounting perspectives are best used for making decisions, separated from accrual and financial accounting measures.
  7. Price discrimination is a major opportunity in every market.
  8. The formal discounted cash flow analyses apply to many situations.
  9. Activity based costing helps to identify necessary costs at 4 levels.
  10. Corporate and product level costs are subject to cost reduction just like plant/facility and production costs.
  11. The balanced scoreboard system ensures that all levels of economic activity are planned, measured and managed.

Human Resources

  1. Human resources are productive assets; they are not simply “personnel”. They should be managed accordingly.
  2. Required staff skills must be defined, measured and enhanced.
  3. Clerical support skills must be cost-justified.
  4. Analytical skills can be captured in separate positions.
  5. The general concept of meritocracy matters. Exceptions must be justified.
  6. COO’s and CFO’s are not alone. IT, marketing, risk, merchandise and people managers are equally important.
  7. Legal compliance matters.
  8. The role of “managers” is essential. Managing people, tasks and processes. Developing talents.
  9. Highly skilled MBA’s have important roles to play.
  10. Organizational development is a value added function.
  11. Matrix (cross-functional) management is just as important as functional management.
  12. Project teams play a critical role.
  13. Firms cannot cost-justify employing thought leaders in every function. Management consultants can fill in.
  14. Employees can be outsourced.
  15. HR information systems (HRIS) are essential.
  16. Centralized professional services functions are typically more cost effective.
  17. Corporate culture is a strategic asset.
  18. Clearly defining role requirements, recruiting, hiring and performance evaluation greatly improve performance.
  19. Human beings have personalities, habits, talents and motivations that can be leveraged and improved.
  20. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a worthy investment today.
  21. Workplace flexibility is highly valued by employees.

Information Technology

  1. Basic financial and operations systems can be automated.
  2. Detailed transactional processes can be automated, controlled and improved.
  3. Processes can be documented, standardized and enforced.
  4. Relational database logic can greatly reduce work and errors.
  5. Detailed functional IT subsystems can be developed to improve operations and feed the financial systems. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), as one example.
  6. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can be used to leverage the universal core processes of firms while customizing the details and integrating functional subsystems.
  7. Critical data can be stored in data warehouses for analysis. Big Data comes later.
  8. Reduced IT costs improve access to various tools and systems.
  9. Staff can effectively use personal productivity tools: word processing, spreadsheets, graphs, graphics, email, databases, queries, report writing.
  10. Personal computers allow local use.
  11. The ongoing reduction of computer costs makes them more effective for more employees.
  12. The internet provides access to information, teams, suppliers, customers, markets and others.
  13. Internet search tools provide smart access to information.
  14. Crowdsourced applications provide zero cost tools.
  15. Social media apps provide the opportunity to connect with others effectively.
  16. Smartphones further reduce the cost and limits of accessing all data, functionality and people.
  17. Artificial intelligence provides tools to greatly leverage personal skills.

Operations

  1. Forecasting and statistical techniques refined and easily applied using personal computers.
  2. Complex, multi-level operations planning models widely used.
  3. Supply chain management using daily or real-time information from suppliers, internal operations and customers optimized.
  4. Long-term supplier partner strategies adopted, reducing sales, purchasing, legal and disruption costs.
  5. Professional logistics profession developed, applying the best options for all types of cargo.
  6. Manufacturing outsourced routinely to lowest total costs sources worldwide.
  7. Distribution, logistics, IT, HR, R&D, product development and all functions outsourced (sometimes globally) to leverage specialized skills and focus internal operations.
  8. Operations research tools routinely applied for optimization problems, especially critical paths.
  9. All fixed-cost capacities set at lower percentages, with secondary capacity options, in order to optimize profits, especially in low and high demand situations.
  10. All processes defined, standardized, refined and optimized in order to apply IT and process engineering.
  11. Multiple feedback loops routinely used to improve processes through time.
  12. Lower communications and transportation costs further increased outsourcing activities.
  13. The value of time to customers was identified and turned into a competitive advantage, from 6-weeks mail order to same day to same hour delivery.
  14. Just-in-time production philosophies implemented, and inventories slashed towards zero intentionally to force improvements.
  15. Production processes re-engineered according to process and final goal needs, displacing functional and “like kind” groupings.
  16. Continuous improvement, kaizen quick fixes and full process re-engineering take advantage of global best practices.
  17. Project management discipline created and refined. Agile project management used. Project management offices created to manage portfolios of projects, project managers and subject matter experts from inside, suppliers, customers and consultants.
  18. New product development managed as a portfolio of projects, each within a standard process framework. Firms adopt the “layer cake” view of value as the sum of annuity returns from a series of new products.
  19. Basic insights of modern Total Quality Management or Lean Six Sigma adopted, focused on activity and process variability with unexpectedly large results. Relentless elimination of waste.
  20. The Quality paradigm shift places the process view on par with the finance view.
  21. The variability of actions within a sequence of events [Goldratt] is seen as the critical driver of final results. Processes, measurements, goals, investments, staffing, operations planning and outsourcing are adjusted for dynamic effectiveness.

Summary

Modern firms have cumulatively adopted and leveraged these interrelated capabilities to become strategically driven, self-aware, well-managed and improving through time. The marginal finance/portfolio view together with the process view allow firms to identify, deliver and monetize customer needs while outsourcing functions that are not deemed strategically essential. Firms generally invest more resources in planning, optimization, new product development and risk management today.

The application of these principles has varied by industry. Government, not-for-profit and health care have great improvement opportunities remaining.

Firms may invest in Joseph Schumpeter’s “creative destruction” or they may optimize within existing market structures if they see higher returns from internal process improvements, incremental product development, supplier squeezing, price discrimination, targeted marketing or regulatory capture. In other words, the capabilities for ongoing world-changing improvements exist but may not be applied for the greater good.

Addressing the “Threat” of Immigration

tomkapostasy1 Comment

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-ties-mexico-tariff-threats-to-hefty-immigration-demands-11559332126

Immigration has become a strong winning issue for right-wing parties around the world and an organizing issue for extreme right-wing parties. Why? What should centrist and left-wing parties do?

Accelerants

There are more immigrants. Economic, religious, social and political immigrants. More international conflicts, civil wars and gang violence. Continued huge gaps in living standards between countries. Global communications and transportation networks that make migration possible. The demand for in-migration to developed countries is very high.

In a world of rapid change, slowing growth and religious doubt, citizens of advanced nations are insecure.

What’s the Root Cause of Our Problems?: Insecurity
Historical Events; Fear and Insecurity
What’s the Root Cause of Our Problems?: Our Secular Age
What’s The Root Cause of Our Problems?: Imperfect Myths

Politicians have learned that a simplistic polarization of left versus right is much easier to manage than “solving problems” and have increasingly framed all politics as “us versus them”.

Causes of Increased Political Polarization
One Page: Why We’re Polarized – Klein (2020)
Why We’re Polarized 2020

In a world of skepticism and loss of certainty caused by the undermining of religion, progress, science, socialism, fascism, or nationalism as a definite answer we increasingly turn to “identity” as our rock. Blame Rene Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” insight or Martin Luther’s religious individualism or libertarian economic individualism or countercultural social individualism or the “therapeutic society” triggered by Sigmund Freud.

We all need a basis for our cognitive consistency. Today, our personal identity is raised as a mini-God of great importance. We merge political, cultural and personal identities. We look to national, cultural, racial, class, professional, fraternal, social, alumni or corporate identities for meaning. Identity is MUCH more important today. It is subject to political and media influence and manipulation.

Moral Foundations Framework

Jonathan Haidt and his colleagues sought to define the core, inherent, inherited moral, political and religious frameworks that we all have. They contrasted traditional and modern moral beliefs. They noted that “modern” beliefs are extraordinary and WEIRD: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic. They combined social science testing, statistics and evolutionary psychology to determine 5-8 widely held moral beliefs that “make sense” based on their interpretation of human and cultural evolution. They noted that liberals emphasize just the two values of care and fairness, while conservatives add the values of loyalty, authority, purity/sanctity, proportionality, ownership and liberty.

Home
Moral Foundations Theory of Politics
The Righteous Mind – Part 2
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion – 2012 (Part 1)

Immigration is a Huge Threat to Many

I’m insecure, framing politics in simple left versus right, “us versus them” terms and insecure in my identity. I’m sensitive to all of the moral flavors, including loyalty, authority and purity. Immigration is increasing. Illegal immigration is uncontrolled.

What do I see?

Economic threats to jobs, assets and privilege.

Unfair claims on public welfare programs.

Risk of increased crime, disease, drugs and social dysfunction.

Further dilution of and threats against traditional culture by unfamiliar “others”. Different birthplace, nationality, race, religion, class, language and expectations.

Opposition to the “rule of law”, unfairly proposing amnesty for illegal immigrants.

A feeling of personal and social violation or invasion by “others”. A loss of control.

A threat to the symbolic nation and national security.

Reasonable people take this perspective. They look at “liberals” who emphasize “immigrant rights” above this reality as insane.

Academic research generally supports the “Moral Foundations Theory” view.

Click to access 2022-9-1-1-Nath.pdf

https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/1864-9335/a000447

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147176724001251

https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/7/3/65

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19485506231162161

Centrist Political Response

  1. Acknowledge those who feel this threat. Don’t dismiss, discount, demonize or rationalize them or the politicians that support them. Recognize their legitimate concerns.
  2. Focus on the issue of illegal immigration. Solve it. Invest in border controls.
  3. Implement a national ID system that prevents illegal employment.
  4. Enhance the agricultural guest worker program.
  5. Focus on the issue of unlimited asylum seekers. Solve it. Revise standards to be reasonable. Resolve cases within a year. Set a limit. Find ways to “share the love” with other countries.
  6. Support a “points system” that prioritizes “value added” immigrants.
  7. Propose a way like Reagan’s “path to citizenship” for existing illegal immigrants.
  8. Support expulsion of all convicted felony criminals.
  9. Ignore the extremist rhetoric about illegal immigrants.
  10. Highlight Trump’s unwillingness to even discuss a bipartisan solution.
The collapse of bipartisan immigration reform: A guide for the perplexed
  1. Highlight the much greater importance of national economic success, affordable prices, the rule of law, sustainable democracy and American global interests.
  2. Highlight a political platform of personal and economic opportunity rather than individual “rights”.
  3. Promote immigrant success stories at the working, middle, professional and upper-class levels. Leverage visible sports, arts, media and political figures.
  4. Highlight diverse successful assimilation communities across the United States.
  5. Fine-tune welfare programs to clearly exclude illegal immigrants.

Summary

Leftists often believe that their views are obvious, logical and historically “true”. Caring and Fairness are clearly the ultimate values in modern times. The other values are seen as remnants of the unenlightened past. I believe that the moral values of loyalty, authority and purity are also valid. Principled conservatism is a valid perspective.

It is easy to take an enlightened, universal, abstract, economically disinterested view when someone has the assets and talents valued by our society (standing “privilege” on its head). When an individual is unsure of his prospects (standing John Rawls on his head) in the real world, he is rooted in the familiar world of family, caste, class, neighborhood, culture, social groups and self-interest. Insecurity and threats matter. Politicians in a democratic system should listen and respond.

Immigration is a real threat to a majority of our citizens. We should manage it accordingly.

Only by managing the threat can we invest in the proper care for immigrants as a society.

I addressed this topic 4 years ago. I was less willing to fully accept the right-wing perspective.

Illegal Immigration