Episode Summary:What if learning to collaborate with people you don’t trust—or even like—wasn’t revolutionary, but just healthy adulting?
In this episode of The Sidewalk Talk Podcast, Traci Ruble sits down with renowned facilitator and author Adam Kahane, known for guiding some of the world’s most complex social change efforts. Drawing from his influential books Power and Love and Collaborating with the Enemy, Adam invites us to rethink what it means to stay in dialogue across difference.
From attachment theory to political polarization, this conversation unpacks why radical engagement, abiding presence, and cohabitating with difference are essential relational muscles for our time. Adam also shares stories from the field and reminds us why walking and talking might be more powerful than we think.
If you’ve ever wondered how to work with people you disagree with—without giving up your integrity—this conversation is for you.
Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome to Sidewalk Talk01:07 – Meet Adam Kahane: Global facilitator, author, bridge-builder04:13 – Adam’s surprising journey into conflict transformation06:34 – Talking, listening, and the root of human connection09:12 – What it takes to facilitate across divides15:04 – Why connection is more powerful than persuasion17:18 – Walking + talking = underrated healing tools22:52 – Growth through pauses and discomfort23:38 – The overlooked wisdom of cohabitation25:38 – Adulting 101: Working with people we disagree with27:18 – The dance between conflict and care28:07 – “Abiding” and staying with the tension29:39 – Attachment theory, differentiation, and dialogue30:48 – Power, love, justice—and learning to hold all three33:10 – What gets in the way of true collaboration42:55 – Why radical engagement is the future

Sidewalk Talk

Traci Ruble

Why Getting Along With People You Don’t Like Is the Key to Social Change | Adam Kahane on Radical Collaboration

JUN 27, 202545 MIN
Sidewalk Talk

Why Getting Along With People You Don’t Like Is the Key to Social Change | Adam Kahane on Radical Collaboration

JUN 27, 202545 MIN

Description

Episode Summary: What if learning to collaborate with people you don’t trust—or even like—wasn’t revolutionary, but just healthy adulting? In this episode of The Sidewalk Talk Podcast, Traci Ruble sits down with renowned facilitator and author Adam Kahane, known for guiding some of the world’s most complex social change efforts. Drawing from his influential books Power and Love and Collaborating with the Enemy, Adam invites us to rethink what it means to stay in dialogue across difference. From attachment theory to political polarization, this conversation unpacks why radical engagement, abiding presence, and cohabitating with difference are essential relational muscles for our time. Adam also shares stories from the field and reminds us why walking and talking might be more powerful than we think. If you’ve ever wondered how to work with people you disagree with—without giving up your integrity—this conversation is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Sidewalk Talk 01:07 – Meet Adam Kahane: Global facilitator, author, bridge-builder 04:13 – Adam’s surprising journey into conflict transformation 06:34 – Talking, listening, and the root of human connection 09:12 – What it takes to facilitate across divides 15:04 – Why connection is more powerful than persuasion 17:18 – Walking + talking = underrated healing tools 22:52 – Growth through pauses and discomfort 23:38 – The overlooked wisdom of cohabitation 25:38 – Adulting 101: Working with people we disagree with 27:18 – The dance between conflict and care 28:07 – “Abiding” and staying with the tension 29:39 – Attachment theory, differentiation, and dialogue 30:48 – Power, love, justice—and learning to hold all three 33:10 – What gets in the way of true collaboration 42:55 – Why radical engagement is the future