Last Thursday I had the privilege of speaking at the online Agilist4Planet conference. Run by a dedicated group of volunteers, this international conference focuses on the intersection of Agile and Sustainability. And this year the topic was super timely: Bridging Polarities: Harnessing the Power of Tension.
The speakers and topics were amazing! I appreciated the breadth and depth the organizers managed to pull together in just two half days. We discussed how to come to consensus in a polarized world (and even a compelling scenario where AI can help), intentionally choosing to do “just enough” in the face of overwhelming need and challenges, the tension between the pros and cons of fossil fuels, rebuilding human purpose, and so much more! It was a super thought provoking and inspiring set of discussions!
In my session, I covered how our current polarized culture leaves us facing (and even often avoiding) a ever increasing amounts of conflict. Then I covered why we should work to overcome this situation and how we can do so through resolving both tactical, hands-on conversation templates and small actions we can take in our communities and workplaces to increase “social glue”.
Here are a few pictures of my session and the awesome attendees who joined me along with an awesome sketchnote, all courtesy of my friend and fellow coach/consultant/trainer Sarah Kundla!
If you missed me here, you can catch me covering this same topic live and in-person at CincyDeliver on July 24th or in a recorded, on-demand format at Global Connect ’26 by the Association of Change Management Professionals July 28-30.
You can also learn more about the tools I provided to the attendees and even download a free sample here: https://nicolederr.com/2026/04/21/building-social-glue-at-the-richland-area-chamber-of-commerce-womens-leadership-connection/
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