How to keep conversation alive in a polarized world

In our polarized world, it is easy for conversations to get stuck. How can we find new pathways forward on the big issues of our time, whether at the holiday dinner table, in our organizations, or on the wider political stage? Facilitator and author Jason Jay from MIT Sloan explores what happens inside ourselves when conversations go off the rails. He offers a tool called transformative contrasting to help people get unstuck and even harness the creative energy of polarization.   Jason Jay is a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan. His research focuses on how people navigate the tensions between personal, business, and social goals in sustainability efforts. His first book is Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World and he has published articles in the Academy of Management Journal and California Management Review. He teaches courses on strategy, innovation, and leadership for sustainable business at MIT, and engages students and alumni in hands-on projects with leading companies and organizations.   Prior to MIT, Jason was a management consultant for Dialogos International, where he consulted on leadership development and organizational change for major international corporations and NGO's including BP and the World Bank. Jason holds a Ph.D. in Organization Studies from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and an AB and M.Ed from Harvard University.   This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx   Learn more about Jason's book   Watch a video with Jason introducing his book