Both SOAR and PACT are unique in that each can be said to offer new ways of thinking, new ways of “seeing things” that open genuinely new opportunities and unprecedented new possibilities.
SOAR is a multi-month, cohort-based leadership and personal development program created by Chalmers Brothers and Vinay Kumar. The program, which may also be delivered in 2-3 consecutive days, has been successfully delivered to clients large and small in the US, UK, India and Israel... including TripAdvisor, Coca-Cola, Infusionsoft, REI Systems, TEOCO, National Science Foundation, Dollar General and many others. SOAR stands for Success through Observer > Action > Results, and the OAR model comes from the works of Gregory Bateson, Chris Argyris, Donald A. Schon and Peter Senge.
The SOAR Program is also based on a new way of understanding language and the power of conversations for leaders, teams, relationships and individuals. It contains key distinctions, tools and frameworks from Chalmers’ and Vinay’s 2015 book “Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence” and from Chalmers’ 2005 book “Language and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Chalmers and Vinay are both graduates of the Newfield Network’s ontological coaching program, as well as programs offered by Education for Living. Both books draw a great deal from the teaching of Julio Olalla and other leaders within both of those organizations. Chalmers and Vinay are deeply and personally committed to sharing this work and spreading these new and powerful ways of understanding language, conversations, organizations... and ultimately, ourselves... to as many people as possible.
PACT (Polarity Approach to Continuity and Transformation) is a groundbreaking “meta-theory” and robust set of tools that enable a new way of thinking about, understanding and improving organizational performance and leadership effectiveness. In today’s world of increasing interdependency and complexity, it is vital to utilize either/or problem solving AND both/and thinking to address your most strategic challenges and opportunities. The research is clear – leaders, teams and organizations that leverage polarities well out-perform those that don’t.
A growing number of thought leaders, practitioners and researchers are contributing to the substantive body of work that is expanding the knowledge, application and evidence-based research on Polarity Thinking’s vital place in the field of leadership, team and organizational effectiveness. Dr. Barry Johnson’s seminal book, “Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems”, is universally accepted as providing the most comprehensive and practical overview of the theory and application of Polarity Thinking. Cliff Kayser has worked with Dr. Johnson for over a decade, and brings his experience as a coach and consultant with hands-on client engagement – as well as a deep passion for this work and its impact on our world.