Common Problem as a unifying "Common Enemy"
From my comments in the conversation following my post Perfectionism is In the Details:
Humans work on an "us" and "them" basis. As I said in a recent comment on a post that seems to have disappeared, I believe this to be "hardwired" into our systems, whereas WHO QUALIFIES as "us" and "not-us" (and therefore "them") is both socialized and situational.
I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "Nothing unites like a common enemy." For at least the short term, a common "them" will serve to unite former "not-us" groups. The exciting thing about this is that COMMON PROBLEMS can serve as "a common enemy."
Unfortunately, this is trickier than it sounds, for two main reasons.
ONE: Whether it is cause or effect or a bit of both, each "us" group tends to have its own world view. Among the aspects of a world view is what is, and is not, viewed as a problem.
TWO: Another thing endemic to a world view is HOW ONE APPROACHES PROBLEMS. So, even if you get formerly opposed groups to focus on a problem-in-common, THEN there needs to be consensus on how to APPROACH it, and what a desirable SOLUTION will be. Just because two (people, organizations, groups, etc.) agree that something is a problem does NOT mean that they agree on what would be a solution!! ...much less what the steps between here and there are, and who should be in charge...
Which doesn't mean it isn't worth doing, just that it is trickier than it first seems.
....
Sometimes the way out of confusion is a letting go, rather than an adding in of more "details."
Often, it is figuring out the relative "weight" of the various factors -- just figuring out whether the Pro or Con list is longer, without realizing which factors count for more or less, doesn't work.
And there remains that people come from fundamentally differing world views, from differing senses of what the grounding is for what is Good, Right, and Proper behavior and actions.
Although one can say, "Just the facts, ma'am," just what facts are relevant is a matter of some dispute.