OKA Presents –How to Capture the Magic in *Polarity Tensions

About this Experience-based Workshop

This workshop is for consultants, coaches, and leaders interested in expanding awareness of the phenomenon of “both/and” polarities, distinguishing them from “either/or” problems to solve, and learning the basic methods of intentionally capturing the magic inherent in all polarity energy systems.

Come alone or with a client/professional colleague – and bring a particularly difficult issue that has you stuck or that you’d like to explore optimizing using the polarity thinking lens, map, and process. We’ll first spend some time introducing the basics of the See, Map and Tap process for your real-time issue. We’ll spend a good part of the day applying your learning to situations, and you’ll leave the session with action steps to create a synergistic, virtuous cycle in your coaching/consulting practice, personal/organizational leadership, or team/organization.

Objectives

1. Distinguish between “either/or” problems to solve and “both/and” polarities to leverage, and get a clearer understanding for how to maximize both types of thinking.

2. Understand the phenomenon of polarities in individual, team, and organizational life -- and the critical importance of tapping into the power of polarity energy when addressing complex or difficult issues.

3. Understand how all polarities work and the energy dynamic of polarities.

4. Learn to see, map, and tap polarities by applying your learning to a current project or leadership/organizational challenge.

What Are Polarities and Why is it Important to Pay Attention to Them?

There are solvable problems and there are “polarities” that are inherently unsolvable. Polarities are interdependent values pairs that appear to be at cross-purposes or in competition. However, a polarity contains an energy system that has inherent potential to be leveraged to create generative and sustainable results – that’s the magic!

Some examples of polarities include:

Continuity and Change

Clear and Flexible

Decentralization and Centralization

Task Focus and Relationship Focus

Mission Focus and Profit Focus

Execution and Innovation

Individual responsibility and Collective responsibility

If you are like most people, one value in each of the pairs above may stand out as “better” or at least more desirable than the other. And, all individuals, teams, and organizations need to pay attention to both values over time to be successful in today’s dynamic business and market environment. The question is: HOW do you do both well over time, and capture the magic both can give you? The business literature is clear-- Leaders, teams, and organizations that leverage polarity tensions well outperform those that don’t. Therefore, consultants and coaches who know the HOW to leverage polarity tensions are more successful, too. Polarity thinking can help you achieve goals faster and more sustainably and support you in addressing: Complexity, Change, Conflict, Chronic Issues, and Cross-Cultural Issues (Intra-national and International). 

At work and in life, we leverage polarities all the time (in fact, work/life is a polarity that many people struggle to leverage well!). The more intentionally, consciously, and choicefully we work with the energy in polarities, the more able we are to experience “IT” -- the magic that’s there to improve performance and create generative and sustainable results.

*This workshop is based on the principles developed by Barry Johnson, PhD, author of, Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems.