In a June 8th article, Convergence Leadership Council Member Daniel Cherrin writes about the current leadership transition happening at Michigan State University. Daniel highlights Convergence’s recent work in Kentucky, noting:

“The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation, recognizing that the issue would not move through conventional advocacy, brought in Convergence to convene a statewide collaborative of stakeholders — childcare providers, employers, business leaders, advocates, faith leaders, policy experts, and representatives from rural and urban communities across the political spectrum.

Over 18 months, Convergence built the conditions for honest conversation across genuinely competing perspectives. The result was not another report. It was legislation. House Bill 6, addressing childcare regulations, quality standards, affordability, workforce development, access for children with special needs, and community-based solutions. In April, HB 6 passed the Kentucky House 83 to 10 and the Kentucky Senate 36 to 1, with near-unanimous bipartisan support, with the governor signing it into law.”

Daniel’s piece suggests a similar approach could be useful in other settings, such as universities, for progress to happen beyond PR, stating;

“Crisis management controls what people think. Structured dialogue changes the conversation and the conditions that made the crisis possible in the first place. Institutions that recover are not the ones with the best PR firms. They are the ones that change what is broken and then let that changed reality speak for itself.”