Is Incivility Having an Impact on the Operation of Your Association?

We live in an age where the lack of civility has become a common occurrence in daily life, whether it be on the internet, on the highway, or even in line at the grocery store. While the causes of the decline in civility can be debated, the consequences are more apparent, even at the community level. As incidents of harassment and intimidation and those evidencing pervasive intolerance and general rudeness become commonplace, people become afraid to interact and have meaningful conversations, to volunteer for board and committee positions, and to simply get involved in their community. An association experiencing rampant incivility among its members, and even among its board members, however, may feel powerless to do anything about it.