Remaking the Space Between Us

Almost 250 years ago, our Founders thought We the People were the solution. Today, it looks like we have become the problem. What happened, and what can We the People do about it? 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, poisoning 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. Each story unearths the power we have to open the space within groups and close the distance across them. These short, readable essays will inspire and empower you to remake the space between us so we stop fighting against each other to get our own way and start fighting alongside each other to create a future that is better for all.

Almost 250 years ago, our Founders thought We the People were the solution. Today, it looks like we have become the problem. What happened, and what can We the People do about it? 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, poisoning 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. Each story unearths the power we have to open the space within groups and close the distance across them. These short, readable essays will inspire and empower you to remake the space between us so we stop fighting against each other to get our own way and start fighting alongside each other to create a future that is better for all.

Diana McLain Smith is a renowned thought leader who has led change efforts for thirty-five years in some of America's most iconic businesses and cutting-edge nonprofits. A former partner at the Monitor Group and a former chief executive partner at New Profit, Smith developed a novel approach to conflict and change called Leading Through Relationships (LTR)™. Her frameworks and tools, captured in The Elephant in the Room and Divide Or Conquer, have been used around the world to turn intergroup conflict into a powerful force for change. She shares her life with negotiation expert Bruce Patton, her husband of thirty years; her two rambunctious dogs; and a motley family of friends.