July 18, 2024
Hello Team Commerce,
Recently, our nation has faced unprecedented challenges, underscored by the assassination attempt on former President Trump last week. Such incidents not only deepen the political divides within our country but also serve as a stark reminder of the critical need for dialogue, understanding, and collaboration in our society.
This divide is a symptom of our society’s inability to have constructive discourse, and I want to take this opportunity to focus on Governor Spencer Cox’s Disagree Better initiative. Last year, Governor Cox launched this initiative to help Americans engage in healthy conflict and calm the political landscape by fostering a culture of productive disagreement.
At last week’s National Governors Association summer meeting, Governor Cox discussed Disagree Better at length. He said it’s about building, optimism, and hope. Whether it’s within our families, workplaces, or communities, we all have a role to play in overcoming this polarization by doing the hard work of building bridges.
In March, Commerce organized its own Disagree Better training focused on how to resolve conflict productively at work. I encourage you to watch the training if you haven’t already or even watch it again. The video explores different communication techniques to help you work collaboratively to find solutions that benefit everyone. For those interested in further understanding the Disagree Better approach, additional resources are available here to aid your journey toward more effective communication and teamwork in every facet of life.
During the closing of the National Governors Association summer meeting, Governor Cox said, “In our society today, building is hard. Building institutions is hard work. Tearing them down is easy. Building up our neighbors and community is hard work. We need architects. We need more builders.” We strive to continue this vision within our department and cultivate our core values of unity and trust, where conflicts are resolved through dialogue and understanding, and every member feels valued and heard. Let us embrace our roles as builders.
