EPISODE DESCRIPTION:Diana McLain Smith is the author of the new book, Remaking the Space Between Us: How Citizens Can Work Together to Build a Better Future for All. She has spent the past 35+ years as a renowned thought leader and systems change expert helping organizations transform conflict into a constructive force for change.

Every day, the news delivers the same story: as a nation, we are so divided, we spend more time picking fights than solving our most urgent problems. It's exhausting and exasperating. In Remaking the Space Between Us, Smith invites us to see what lies behind this story: a growing trend in which more and more of us are seeking refuge in like-minded groups while distancing from groups different from our own. Although it's a natural response to the uncertainty and adversity of the past fifty years, this trend is fraying our social fabric, negatively affecting our politics, and weakening the moral foundation upon which our future together rests. Despite all we are up against, Smith shows why we need not—and why we must not—give up on each other or give into forces so overwhelming they make us feel powerless. Through emotionally affecting stories, Smith recounts how tens of thousands of citizens across the U.S. are working together under the radar to bridge divides, heal our nation, and rebuild our democracy. Diana will discuss tools and insights to help people better relate to those on the opposite side of their political spectrum and to work together to find solutions to our most pressing challenges and work alongside each other to create a future that is better for all.

DIANA MCLAIN SMITH has spent the past 35+ years helping organizations transform intergroup conflict into a powerful force for change. She has led change initiatives in a wide range of contexts – from Fortune 500 companies to cutting edge nonprofits – and her groundbreaking Leading Through Relationships (LTR) approach has been used by thousands of teams and organizations around the world to break free of intractable conflict and co-create powerful change. She is a former Partner at Monitor Group Consulting, former Chair of Monitor University, and former Chief Executive Partner at New Profit, and the author of Divide Or Conquer, The Elephant in the Room, the co-author of Action Science with Chris Argyris and Robert Putnam. She has served as an advisor to the Harvard Negotiation Project and the Rebuild Congress Initiative. She holds Masters and Doctorate degrees from Harvard University.

(https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-smith-bb8b505/)(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555850530104) www.remakingthespace.substack.com/)

Website: remakingthespace.org

https://www.remakingthespace.org/about