Saving Civility

Sara Hacala, a frequent speaker around the United States on the topic of civility, is president of Sara Hacala & Associates LLC, which provides full-service training and seminars in all aspects of business etiquette, manners and civility for corporate personnel, university students and individuals. She is author of Saving Civility: 52 Ways to Tame Rude, Crude and Attitude for a Polite Planet. She also works in high schools with "at-risk" students, teaching vital interpersonal skills to help them access the business arena and increase their opportunities for success. A world traveler and consummate hostess, she is a graduate of the Protocol School of Washington.

• IntroductionThe Rise of Rude, Crude, and Attitude: How We're All Part of the ProblemHow Rude Can You Be?The DisconnectIncivility BitesThe Polite Planet Action Guide: How You Can Be Part of the Solution1. Know Who You Are2. Live in the Present Moment3. Smile4. See Yourself as Others See You5. Sharpen Your Social Antenna6. Respect the Boundaries of Others7. Listen Up8. Discern the Right Meaning9. Strike a Tone10. Recognize the Power of Words11. Hold Your Tongue12. Resist Rhetoric13. Disagree Agreeably14. Keep a Negotiation on Track15. Don't Burn Bridges16. Set Your Moral Compass17. Build Trust18. Strive for Truth19. Take the High Road20. Laugh at Least Once a Day21. Just Be Nice!22. Cultivate Optimism23. Embrace Kindness24. Live Generously25. Practice Gratitude26. Embody Enough27. Adapt Adeptly28. Practice Patience29. Drive Gently on the Road30. Pick Your Battles Wisely31. Remember What Your Mother Taught You32. Teach Your Children Well33 Bring Back the Magic34. Mind Your Cybermanners35. Time It Right36. Delight Your Host, Please Your Guest37. Dress to Fit38. Apologize39. Learn to Forgive40. Celebrate Diversity41. Travel Often and Well42. Consider Your Fellow Travelers43. Practice Nonviolence44. Judge Not Thy Neighbor45. Play Fair and Everyone Wins46. Put All Hands on Deck47. Choose Your Heroes Wisely48. Enhance Your Likeability49. Work at Workplace Civility50. Grow a Very Big Heart51. Reel in What's Real52. Plant a SeedA Call to ActionPlea for a Polite PlanetAcknowledgmentsNotesReferences

"Insightful … goes beyond platitudes about the importance of treating one another with respect to practical, everyday advice…. An important resource guide for work, home and travel…. An appeal to the spirit, and a call for compassion and grace."—Kerry Kennedy, president, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights"In a cacophonous world increasingly made more unsettling by thoughtlessness, discourtesy and plain old-fashioned rudeness, Sara Hacala doesn't just moan about our modern boorishness, she shows us how we can start being more kind and gentle to one another.—Frank Deford, NPR commentator and author"[Illustrates how] respect, courtesy [and] consideration … can make a huge difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. Civility is not dead, and this book will help ensure it's here to stay!"—Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO and CCO,The Kaplan Thaler Group; best-selling author with Robin Koval,The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness“A must read!... [To] treat people well with trust, dignity and respect … will never go out of fashion and has its own just rewards in the end."—Jack Mitchell, CEO, Mitchell Family of Stores; best-selling author, Hug Your Customers and Hug Your People“Ardent and persuasive…. Penetrating analysis about the dearth of polite conduct in our society … offers cogent solutions that are easy to understand and adopt…. Extensive research … adds impact and credibility to this much-needed antidote to our national malaise…. America needs this book!”—Sybil Steinberg, former Publishers Weekly Forecasts editor“Provide[s] an antidote [to incivility], a compendium of helpful suggestions for acting and communicating with civility in every phase of our lives.”—Rev. Charles L. Currie, SJ, president, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities“A wonderful guide to building a culture of character and a challenge to all of us to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem…. A [delightful] how-to manual for living well and adding to the quality of the lives of everyone around us. Reading it makes you feel good about being a member of the human family.”—Thomas Lickona, director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility),State University of New York; author, Character Matters“Loaded with great practical strategies for living more civil, rewarding, richer lives…. Makes a compelling case for how individuals and society benefit from civility.”—Christine Porath, professor, Georgetown University; coauthor, The Cost of Bad Behavior“A wise and engaging discussion about the transformative powers of conduct, connectivity and cooperation. Packed full of practical ideas … offers small steps we can all take that can ultimately change our lives and our world.”—Rev. Susan Sparks, senior pastor, Madison Avenue Baptist Church, New York City; author, Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor“Chances are you need to read this book. We are losing our civility and with it our society. Sara Hacala just might be able to save both.”—Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author, The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice“Commonsense simple … user friendly. I guarantee you'll adopt [these] methods and feel better for it.”—Nelle Nugent, Broadway producer“Compelling, inspiring and practical … concrete actions you can do today.”—Tim Koller, partner, McKinsey & Company; author, Value: The Four Cornerstones of Corporate Finance