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Polarity Thinking Overview

Polarities are two equally attractive but opposing possibilities that exist in tension, such as a business unit and the overall organization. If not managed well, focusing too much on one polarity leads to issues with the other in an oscillating cycle. Polarities are best managed by understanding their upsides and downsides, and taking action to balance both sides through techniques like polarity mapping. Polarity mapping involves defining a polarity, filling in its higher purpose and potential downsides, and tracking where time is spent through an "infinity loop" to determine if the polarity is balanced or needs adjustment through action steps. The maps facilitate discussions to address important issues and make better decisions. Examples show maps for continuity and change, short term vs long term focus,

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Karel Haan
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473 views

Polarity Thinking Overview

Polarities are two equally attractive but opposing possibilities that exist in tension, such as a business unit and the overall organization. If not managed well, focusing too much on one polarity leads to issues with the other in an oscillating cycle. Polarities are best managed by understanding their upsides and downsides, and taking action to balance both sides through techniques like polarity mapping. Polarity mapping involves defining a polarity, filling in its higher purpose and potential downsides, and tracking where time is spent through an "infinity loop" to determine if the polarity is balanced or needs adjustment through action steps. The maps facilitate discussions to address important issues and make better decisions. Examples show maps for continuity and change, short term vs long term focus,

Uploaded by

Karel Haan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Polarity y Thinking* g Polarity Mapping

NeesaSweet 8472662677
[email protected]
*PolarityThinkingandMapscBarryJohnsonandPolarityPartners usedbypermission

WhatarePolarities?
Polaritiesaretwoequallyattractivepossibilities thatexistintensionwitheachothersuchasa part(forexampleabusinessunit)anda whole(forexample,theentireorganization). Overemphasisononepoletotheneglectofthe otherleadstoitsdownsideandeventuallythe upside,thenthedownsideoftheotherpole. If fnotmanaged dwell, ll the h polarity l cycle l is experiencedaswildoscillations,leadingto wastedtimeandresources. Poorly ymanaged g p polaritiesleadorganizations g and individualstocreatethefuturetheyfear.Well managedpolaritieshelpthemcreatethefuture theydesire.

Polarity yThinking g
Organizationsoftenthinktheyhaveaproblemtosolvewhenwhatthey reallyhaveisapolaritytomanage. Polaritiesarevaluesandattributesthatcomeinpairs.Overfocusonone leadstofocusontheother,which,inturn,leadstovacillation,wasted timeandwastedresources.Whatiswantedisthebestofboth. Wheneitheroranswersarentclear,itsbecausethechoicesmayactually bepolarities.
Breathingislikeapolarity: Youcantdecidetodooneortheother. Breathinginleadstobreathingout. Breathingoutleadstobreathingin.

SomeIdentifiedPolarities
Th areM There More! !
Action Be Focused Directive Decisions Build Relationship Care For My Business Unit Care Of Customers Centralized Change Clarity Coaching Culture Collaboration Tight P Part Common Sense Competitive Creativity Customer Service y Efficiency Initiator Innovation Interdependence Long Term Mission R t i E Retain Employees l Short-term Supportive Management Tradition Traditionalist Debate Hang Loose Participative Decisions Get The Job Done Care For Whole Company Care Of Organization Decentralized Stability Flexibility Directive Culture Competition Loose Wh l Whole Facts Collaborative Standardization Service To Organization Quality Q y Follower Tradition Self-reliance Short Term Margin Hi N Hire New Talent T l t Long-term Evaluative Management Innovation Change Agent

Polaritiesareinterdependentpairs.Neitheris intrinsically ybetterorworsethantheother. Overfocusononeleadstotheother. Peopledescribepolaritiesinlanguagethatis meaningfultothem,sodifferentsetsofwords mightdescribesimilarpolarities. Somegeneralized S li dpolarity l i d descriptions, i i suchaspartwholeortightloosemay alsodescribemorespecificsituationssuch asbusinessunittheoverallorganizationor directiveleadercollaborativeenvironment.

Applications pp ofPolarity yThinking g


StrategicPlanning ManagingUnsolvableProblems Assessment Performance Collaboration Alignment Negotiation TeamDiscussions SurfacingHiddenIssues UncoveringHiddenAttitudes g TeamandIndividualCoaching Mediation
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ThePolarityMap
Howwillwegainor Howwillwegainor maintainthepositive maintainthepositive resultsfromfocusing resultsfromfocusing onthispole?What? onthisleftpole? Who?Bywhen? What?Who?By Measures? when?Measures?

GreaterPurpose WhyBalancethePolarity?
Howwillwegainor maintainthepositive resultsfromfocusing onthispole?What? Who?Bywhen? Measures?

Upsideof rightpole

Upsideof leftpole

Rightpole
Measurableindicators thatwillletyouknow thatyouaregetting intothedownsideof thispole. pole

Leftpole
Measurableindicators thatwillletyouknow thatyouaregetting intothedownsideof thispole pole.

Downside ofrightpole

Downside ofleftpole

DeeperFearfromlackofbalance

PolarityMapsaregraphictoolsthatshowtheupsidesanddownsidesofpairs,warningsignsof overfocusoneitherpole,andpotentialactionstepstobalancethepolarityandreachdesired goals. Travelthroughtheupsidesanddownsidesofeachpoleisrepresentedbytheinfinityloop.

Managing g gPolarity yPairs

UpsideofX

UpsideofY

Theinfinitylooptraces howwellthepolarity pairisbeingmanaged. Normalflowisfrom thedownsideofone poletotheupsideof theother.

X
DownsideofX

Y
DownsideofY

Inawellmanagedpolarity,attentionispaidtobothpolesandmaximumtimeisspent intheupsidesofthepoles.Balanced,moreprofitablecircumstances,areexperienced thaninthewildlyswingingoscillationsthatcomewithneglectingonepoleortheother andthusspendingmoretimeinthedownsidesofthepoles. Actionstepsandearlywarningsignsareusedtohelpmanagepolarities.

Polarity yMapping pp gFacilitatesDiscussion


PolarityMapscanbeusedtofacilitatediscussions aboutstrategy,performanceandother issues. Thepowerofthemapscomesfromtheirabilityto surfaceissuesandtensions, tensions todosoinaway thathonorsthevalidityofdifferentwaysof approachingsituations,andthatbuildsin mechanismsforbothactionandreflection. Mapscanbedrawninformallyonflipchartsand filledinbyafacilitatorasexecutivesorother groupstalkabouttheirsituations. Theycanbecreatedmoreformallyincomputer templates.Thereisalsoacomputerized assessmenttool tool. Oncepeopleunderstandtheconceptof polaritiestheybegintoseeinterconnected pairsinmanyfacetsoftheirwork.Theyare abletousetheseinsightstoclarifyand address dd important i issues, i tomake k b better decisionsandtotakemoredecisiveaction.

Inafacilitateddiscussionwithkey stakeholders: sta e o de s:


1. 2. 3. Definethedifficultyordifficulties Determinerelevantpolarities Buildthepolaritymap:
a. b. c c. d. e. f. g. Fillinthehigherpurposeanddeeperfear Fillintheupsideoftheleftpole. Fillinthedownside downsideoftheleftpole pole. Fillintheupsideoftherightpole. Fillinthedownsideoftherightpole. Fillinthewarningsigns Fillintheactionsteps

4. 5. 6.

Foreachquadrant,imaginebeinginthe organizationthislistdescribes Determinetheinfinitylooppath Assessanddetermineaction

Polarity yMap pExample: p Continuity yandChange g

Infinity yLoop pLetsYouTrackHowPolarity yisManaged g

WellBalancedPolarity ReadyfortheFuture

TooMuchTimeinDownsides FallingBehind

UnbalancedPolarity MissingAdvantagesofChange

UnbalancedPolarity WillSoonStarttoExperiencethe DownsideofChange

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Getting gUnstuck
ThePolarityMapcanhelpanorganization orgroupgetunstuck. Thenormalflowfromthedownsideofthe leftpoleistotheupsideoftherightpole. Sometimes,though,thereisconsiderable resistancetodoingso.Thenormal movementiseffectivelyblocked.Theway outistoreversetheflow. Tohelppeoplegetunstuck, unstuck ,changethe pathoftheinfinityloop.Insteadoftrying togodirectlytotheupsideoftherightpole whenpeopleresist,visitthequadrantsas below.Imaginebeing 1. first,intheupsideoftheleft pole 2. thentakethebridgetothe downsideoftherightpole 3. gototheupsideoftherightpole 4. gototheupsideoftheleftpole 5. finally,revisitthehigherpurpose

Well managed normal flow

1 4

5
Blocked pathway

Stuck

3
Reversing theflow

2
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Polarity yMap pExample: p ShortTermandLong gTermFocus

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Polarity yMap pExample: p BusinessUnitandCompany p y

* Thanks to John Scherer, Center for Work and the Human Spirit ** Thanks to The Strategy Academy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands *** Thanks to Todd Johnson, Rivertown Consultants

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PolarityMapExampleInformationSharingandInformation Security

14

ThankYou

NeesaSweet
8472662677
Certified Consultant

[email protected]

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