nexus4 africa concurren session

Copyright © PMA 2002 Polarity Map ™ 1http://atlindas.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/spinninggirl.gif

If You Want Radical Change,

You Better Go For Radical Stability

Nexus4Africa

Presented by: Jake Jacobs

Copyright © PMA 2002 Polarity Map ™ 2

What led you to choose this session?

What would you like to learn during our time together?

Expectations


The Power of Paradox

A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition.


The Power of Paradox

Focusing TOO MUCH on what you do want will get you

LESS of what you do want and

MORE of what you don’t want


Purpose

To make achieving our life and work goals

better,

faster and

easier

Outcomes

A deeper understanding of our personal relationship to stability and change

Appreciate the powerful dynamic between stability and change

Know how to leverage this dynamic to achieve sustained success

If You Want Radical Change,

You Better Go For Radical Stability


Mercy

4000 years ago - Judaism


Justice Mercy



2500 years ago - Taoism3


2500 years ago - Taoism


Yang Yin

2500 years ago - Taoism


Law Grace

2000 years ago - Christianity


50 years ago – Business and Industry

Polarity

Paradox

Dilemma

Tensions


High Performing Organization

Leaders who managepolarities well out perform those that

don’t

Organizations that manage polarities well

out perform thosethat don’t

Low Performing Orgnaization

and Organization Development

Leadership Development

4


Too much

Carbon DioxideToo little

Oxygen

Clean out

Carbon DioxideGet

Oxygen

Inhale Exhaleand

5


Negative results from too

much focus on activity and

no rest

Negative results from too

much focus on rest and no

activity

Positives results from focusing on rest

Positive results from focusing on activity

Activity Restand

Recorder/

Reporter

Recorder/

Reporter

6


RestActivity

C.

Relaxed

Rejuvenated

Boring

Loss of Energy

D.

A.

Stimulated

Challenged

Tense

Overwhelmed

B.

Polarity Management™ The Infinity Loop Energy System


Muscles Atrophy

Lethargic

Achy Muscles

Exhausted

Rejuvenated

Muscles Rest/Develop

Stimulated

Muscles Condition

RestActivity

Finish Marathon

Can’t Complete Marathon


Healthy Life

Unhealthy Life

and

Bored

Loss of Energy

Tense

Overwhelmed

Relaxed

Rejuvenated

Stimulated

Challenged

RestActivity

8


Point of View Exercise

Team A Team B


Team A – Situation: You are a group who are very concerned that your organization spend more time focusing on stability for your organization. You are about to debate a group who are adamant about focusing on change.

Debate Notes Section #1:List the positive results of focusing on stability for your organization.

Debate Notes Section #2:List the negative results of over-focusing on change to the neglect of stability.

Step 1 = PreparationWith the help of your fellow team members, brainstorm content for both sections of the “Debate Notes” in the box to the left and belowStep 2 = Debate – All Talk Two objectives:

1.Hold on to your own point of view2.Get the other team to agree with your point of view


ChangeStability

20


Team B – Situation: You are a group who are very concerned that your organization spend more time focusing on change for your organization. You are about to debate a group who are adamant about focusing on stability.

Debate Notes Section #1:List the positive results of focusing on change for your organization.

Debate Notes Section #2:List the negative results of over-focusing on stability to the neglect of change.

Step 1 = PreparationWith the help of your fellow team members, brainstorm content for both sections of the “Debate Notes” in the box to the right and belowStep 2 = Debate – All Talk Two objectives:

1.Hold on to your own point of view2.Get the other team to agree with your point of view


ChangeStability

21



Team A Team B


Competitive AdvantageContinuityCore ValuesTap Past and Present Wisdom

New Energy and DirectionCreativityTap New Wisdom

StagnationLoss of EnergyMissed Opportunities

Lose ContinuityLose Core ValuesFoolish Risks

Well Managed Polarity

Can’t Compete

Leveraging Well and Leveraging Poorly





Overemphasis on Stability

Can’t Compete





Overemphasis on Change

Can’t Compete

Stability Change

Stability Change Stability Change

32

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE

SUSTAINED SUCCESS SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE

FAILURE








Capitalizing on Both Points of View

Can’t Compete

Leveraging Well and Leverging Poorly

ContinuityCore ValuesTap Past and Present Wisdom


Stability Centered Point of View

Change Centered Point of View

Stability Change

Stability Change Stability Change

33


“Either/Or” Point of View Going After Change

StagnationLoss of energyMissed opportunities

New energy and directionCreativityTap new wisdom

ChangeStability



Problem / Fears



ChangeStability

No Pg.



Solution / Values

Problem / Fears



ChangeStability

No Pg.





Solution / Values

Stra

tegy

Problem / Fears

ChangeStability

No Pg.


Lose continuityLose core valuesFoolish risk

ContinuityCore ValuesTap past and present wisdom

“Either/Or” Point of View Going After Stability

ChangeStability

No Pg.





Problem / Fears

ChangeStability

No Pg.





Problem / Fears

Solution / Values

ChangeStability

No Pg.





Problem / Fears

Solution / Values

ChangeStability

Strategy

No Pg.


Competitive Advantage

Can’t Compete

“Both/And” Point of View = Competitive Advantage

Fears

Values

Fears

Values





and ChangeStability

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


Leveraging Polarity Energy Systems

IncludeKey Stakeholders

See It

Map It

Tap It - #1 Assess Present Realities

Tap It - # 2 Action Steps

Tap It - #3 Early Warnings

Continue Tapping - #1, 2, 3

10


12 Leadership Polarities From Polarity Management Associates

Conditional Respect AND Unconditional RespectTask AND Relationship Candor AND Diplomacy

Responsibility AND FreedomConfidence AND Humility

Analysis AND EncouragementControl AND Empowerment

Grounded AND VisionaryStructure AND Flexibility

Logic AND CreativityIndividual AND Work Group

Planning AND Implementation

“I believe that the central leadership attribute is the ability to manage polarity.” Peter Koestenbaum


See It – Map It – Tap It•See It•Find a coaching partner

•List of 12 leadership pairs - pick your preference for each pair (2 min)

•Identify which pole was the easiest to choose of the 12 forced choices you made.

•Put the polarity that was easiest to choose in your blank map with your preferred pole on the left. For example if your easiest choice was “Visionary” in the polarity, “Grounded AND Visionary,” you would put “Visionary” in the left pole and “Grounded” in the right pole of your blank map.


**

See It

Loose Tight




See It

Map It





10


See It – Map It – Tap It

Map It - Fill out all four quadrants in your map•Pay attention to content guidelines within the quadrants. •2 to 3 items in each quadrant.•Diagonals are resources as exact opposites•Same number of items in all four quadrants•5 minutes individually then 5 minutes each with coach

completing both maps. (15 minutes total)




See It

Map It





10


Values = positive results of focus on the left pole

Values = positive results of focus on the right pole

Fears = negative results of over-focus on the left pole to the neglect of the right pole

Fears = negative results of over-focus on the right pole to the neglect of the left pole

*

**

and

Polarity Map™ © 1992, 2008 Polarity Management Associates, LLC / * Thanks to John Scherer, The Scherer Leadership Center / ** Thanks to De Wit & Meyer BV / *** Thanks to Todd Johnson, Rivertown Consultants


Effective Leader

Ineffective Leader

AA

O

S

S

AN

AA

O

S

S

AN

AN

S

S

O

AA

AN

S

S

O

AA

Almost Always

Often

Sometimes

Seldom

Almost Never

Almost Always

Often

Sometimes

Seldom

Almost Never

Almost Never

Seldom

Sometimes

Often

Almost Always

Almost Never

Seldom

Sometimes

Often

Almost Always

13


See It – Map It – Tap ItTap It - # 1 Assess Present Realities

• Get your blank assessment map (Page 10) and put it next to your filled out map.

• Put a small “X” over the dot in each quadrant that best answers the following question:

“How frequently in recent weeks have I experienced this content?”

• Create an energy loop within the assessment map that connects the dots with the “X” from each quadrant.

• Interpretation of results - Jake

• Interpret results with your coach. How does this show up at work? (5 minutes)

• Questions and Insights


Effective Leader

Ineffective Leader





*

**

and


How frequently in recent weeks have I experienced this content?Action StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive results from focusing on this left pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?

Action StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive results from focusing on this right pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?

Early Warnings***

Measurable indicators (things you can count) that will let you know that you are getting into the downside of this left pole.

Early WarningsMeasurable indicators (things you can count) that will let you know that you are getting into the downside of this right pole.

AA

O

S

S

AN

AA

O

S

S

AN

AN

S

S

O

AA

AN

S

S

O

AA

Loose Tight

Clear directions provided

Others know where I stand

Flexibility is provided for implementing directions.

I listen to where others stand.

Rigidity “My way or the

highway!”

Ambiguity “What do you want?”

“What do you believe in?”

14?




See It

Map It





10






Deeper Fear from lack of balance

Greater Purpose Statement (GPS) - why balance this polarity?*

**

and


Tap It - #2 Action StepsAction StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive results from focusing on this left pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?


Loose Tight

Effective Leader

Ineffective Leader

A. Provide clear, overall

direction for projects.

B. Take stands on important

issues.

C. Define and recognized good

work and address work not

up to standard.

A. Encourage people to be

creative in implementing

projects.

B. Develop active listening and

dialogue skills.

C. Use mistakes as learning

opportunities.

• Clear directions provided

• Others know where I stand

• Flexibility is provided for implementing directions.

• I listen to where others stand.

• Rigidity• “My way or the

highway!”

• Ambiguity “What do you want?”

• “What do you believe in?”

14


See It – Map It – Tap ItTap It - # 2 Actions Steps•What are you doing or will you do to get the upside of each pole?•Can be doing them now or start doing them•Have to be “Actionable” – Be willing to put a date

by it.•High Leverage Action Step = Can apply to both upsides •Individually (5 min)•Support each other with discussion (5 min each)•Total (15 min)

No Pg.




See It

Map It





10








**

and


Tap It - #3 Early WarningsAction StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive results from focusing on this left pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?


Early Warnings***



Tight Loose

Effective Leader

Ineffective Leader






highway!”






issues.



up to standard.



projects.


dialogue skills.


opportunities.

A. Increase in % of time I am

talking in meetings.

B. Increase in statements like,

“What ever you say.” When

disagreements occur.

A. Increase in questions about

direction or outcomes

desired.

B. Increase in questions about

what I think when issues

are discussed.

14


See It – Map It – Tap ItTap It - # 3 Early Warnings•How will you know early that you are getting into the downside of each pole?

•Must be measurable – something you can count. Begin with, “Increase in” or “Decrease in”

•Example – Loose AND Tight

No Pg.








**

and


See It, Map It, Tap It Action StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive results from focusing on this left pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?


Early Warnings***



Tight Loose

Effective Leader

Ineffective Leader






highway!”






issues.



up to standard.



projects.


dialogue skills.


opportunities.

A. Increase in % of time I am

talking in meetings.

B. Increase in statements like,

“What ever you say.” When

disagreements occur.

A. Increase in questions about

direction or outcomes

desired.

B. Increase in questions about

what I think when issues

are discussed.

14


5

3

Copyright © Robert Jacobs. 2009. All rights reserved.

Your Capability to Productively Manage Tension in a Polarity Determines the Amount of Upside

Benefits Available to Your Organization

Stability Change


5

4

Greater Capability to Productively Manage Tension in a Polarity Increasesthe Amount of Upside Benefits Available to Your Organization


Stability Change


5

5

Less Capability to Productively Manage Tension in a Polarity Decreases the Amount of Upside Benefits Available to Your Organization


Stability Change



Can’t Compete

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Negative Results of Over-focusing on Stability to the Neglect of

Change

Neutral Name of Left Pole

Positive Results of Focusing on

Stability

Why?

Guide to Polarity Map Content

Negative Results of Over-focusing on Change to the Neglect of Stability

Neutral Name of Right Pole

Positive Results of Focusing on Change

GPS = Greater Purpose Statement

Deeper Fear

*

* Thanks to John Scherer, Center for Work and the Human Spirit

ChangeStability


Polarities are like an undertow within the ocean shore. As the water breaks on the shore, not all of it goes back to sea directly under the waves coming in. Some of the water flows parallel to the shore to an area where the ocean floor is a little deeper. As it flows to this low area from both directions, this water flowing parallel with the shore will merge and become a river flowing out to sea. This river out to sea can be quite powerful and increases in power when there is a storm and the waves are bigger.

When someone is caught by a large breaking wave and pulled under, it is easy to get disoriented. When they do get to the surface and look for shore, they may be surprised to see how far out they are. The natural tendency is to swim toward shore. However, this misunderstanding of their circumstance could be deadly. If they are in this “river” within the ocean which is flowing very rapidly out to sea, they will not be able to get to shore no matter how hard they try or how good a swimmer they are. It would be like trying to swim up stream in a very fast flowing river.

What makes this situation especially dangerous for them is that they do not understand the context in which they are caught. Once they understand the context, they will swim parallel with the shore until they get beyond the edge of the “river” which is flowing out to see. Then they can swim in to shore.

Knowing about polarities and how they work is like knowing how the undertow works. Those who understand the underlying currents (the oscillation between two poles of a polarity) will be able to tap these forces rather than become a victim of them. Someone who understands how polarities look and work is like a surfer who understands how undertows work. They are able to ride the “river” flowing out to sea on their surf boards as a way to get out through the breaking waves. Then they can paddle to the edge of the “river” and catch a wave to ride in to shore. What to the unknowing can be a danger can become a source of creativity, fun, and adventure to those who understand how the currents work.

45


GETTING UNSTUCK

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE

STABILITY CHANGEand

Continuity

Core Values

Tap past and present wisdom

New energy and direction

Creativity

Tap new wisdom

Stagnation

Loss of energy

Missed opportunities

Lose continuity

Lose core values

Foolish risk

34


GETTING UNSTUCK

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

CAN’T COMPETE

STABILITY CHANGEand

Continuity

Core Values



Creativity

Tap new wisdom

Stagnation

Loss of energy


Lose continuity

Lose core values

Foolish risk

1

35

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


GETTING UNSTUCK


CAN’T COMPETE

STABILITY CHANGEand

Continuity

Core Values



Creativity

Tap new wisdom

Stagnation

Loss of energy


Lose continuity

Lose core values

Foolish risk

1

2

35

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


GETTING UNSTUCK


CAN’T COMPETE

STABILITY CHANGEand

Continuity

Core Values



Creativity

Tap new wisdom

Stagnation

Loss of energy


Lose continuity

Lose core values

Foolish risk

1

2

3

35

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


GETTING UNSTUCK


CAN’T COMPETE

STABILITY CHANGEand

Continuity

Core Values



Creativity

Tap new wisdom

Stagnation

Loss of energy


Lose continuity

Lose core values

Foolish risk

1

2

3

4

35

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


GETTING UNSTUCK


CAN’T COMPETE

STABILITY CHANGEand

Continuity

Core Values



Creativity

Tap new wisdom

Stagnation

Loss of energy


Lose continuity

Lose core values

Foolish risk

1

2

3

4

535

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


Anticipating the Learning Curve






Can’t Compete

and ChangeStability

36

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

FAILURE


Anticipating the Learning Curve

1. When a shift to another pole represents a relatively new experience, you are likely to get the downside of the new pole before its upside.

2. Those resisting the move to the relatively new pole are asked to:

a. Hold onto the upside of their preferred pole;

b. Tolerate, to some degree, the downside of their less preferred pole as part of the learning process.

37


Restorative Justice

Injustice

Grace General Amnesty - Chile

LawNuremburg Trials - Germany

National amnesia; simmering resentments by the victims of Apartheid as their experiences were denied once again; a past that continues to haunt because it has not been dealt with adequately.

Bloody coup by police or military; huge financial burden of defending state employees; impossibility of meeting legal standards to prove guilt in cases with no surviving witnesses; simmering resentment by accused and their families; a perpetuation of a cycle of violence and retribution.

Justice and Accountability; punishment of aggressors for crimes committed; satisfaction for victims at seeing justice done; and, the importance of remembering the past.

and

Peace and reconciliation; focus on forgiveness, healing and the future; avoid provoking a military coup; save limited funds to build for the future and address the needs of the historically disadvantaged.


Restorative Justice

Injustice

Tapping Law and Grace Within Truth and Reconciliation

* 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

*

**Positive results from focusing on this left pole:

Justice and Accountability; Punishment of aggressors for crimes committed; Satisfaction for victims at seeing justice done; and, The past is remembered

Positive results from focusing on this right pole:

Peace and reconciliation; Focus on forgiveness, healing and the future; Avoid provoking a military coup.Save limited funds to build for the future and address needs of historically disadvantaged.

Negative results of over-focusing on this left pole to the neglect of the right pole:

Bloody coup - police or military; Huge $ burden of defending state employees; Impossible to meet standards to prove guilt in cases with no surviving witnesses; Simmering resentment by accused and their families; and, Perpetuation of a cycle of violence and retribution.

Negative results of over-focusing on this right pole to the neglect of the left pole:

National amnesia; Simmering resentments by the victims of Apartheid as their experiences were denied once again; A past that continues to haunt because it has not been dealt with adequately.

Early Warnings***


1.

Early WarningsMeasurable indicators (things you can count)

that will let you know that you are getting into the downside of this right pole.

1.

andGrace

General AmnestyChile

LawNuremburg Trials

Germany


1.Offer amnesty for abuses to which offenders have publicly admitted during the process.2.Give victims and victims families an opportunity to forgive and lighten the load of resentment and rage.3.Give the abusers an opportunity for admission and forgiveness.

Action StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive results from focusing on this left pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?

1.Have people come forward and publicly own up to abuses they committed under apartheid.2.Bring the victims and the victim’s family to the session in which the abuses to them or their family is admitted.


Safe, Healthy Country

Unsafe, Unhealthy Country

Anticipating the Learning Curve in Post-Apartheid South Africa



*

**Positive results from focusing on this

left pole:

FreedomUniqueness


EqualityConnectedness


InequalityIsolation

(Apartheid)


Loss of Freedom

AndUniqueness

Action StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive

results from focusing on this right pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?

1.Affirmative action

2.Quotas and targets in sports teams


results from focusing on this left pole? What? Who? By When? Measures?

1.

Early Warnings***

Measurable indicators (things you can count) that you are getting into the downside of this left pole. Who will know?

1.


that you are getting the downside of this right pole. Who will know?

1.

RSAWhites


Higher Purpose = Why Balance This Polarity?

Deeper Fear from Lack of Balance?

One family member (Part) & The family (Whole)



*


left pole:

FreedomUniqueness

(Special Coat)


InequalityIsolation(Sold into slavery by brothers)


Loss of Freedom

AndUniqueness

Early Warnings***


1.



1.



1.



1.

FamilyJoseph




Higher Purpose = Why Balance This Polarity?

Deeper Fear from Lack of Balance?

One Province (Part) & The Country (Whole)



*


left pole:

FreedomUniqueness


InequalityIsolation


Loss of Freedom

AndUniqueness

Early Warnings***


1.



1.



1.



1.

CanadaQuebec




Safe, Healthy Planet

Unsafe, Unhealthy Planet

One Country (Part) & International Community (Whole)



*


left pole:

FreedomUniqueness


InequalityIsolation


Loss of Freedom

AndUniqueness



1.



1.

Early Warnings***


1.



1.

HumanityUSA




Safe, Healthy Planet

Unsafe, Unhealthy Planet

One Country (Part) & International Community (Whole)



*


left pole:

FreedomUniqueness


InequalityIsolation


Loss of Freedom

AndUniqueness



1.



1.

Early Warnings***


1.



1.

NatureHumanity




Polarity Map © 1992, 2008 Polarity Management Associates, LLC / * Thanks to John Scherer, The Scherer Leadership Center / ** Thanks to De Wit & Meyer BV / *** Thanks to Todd Johnson, Riverton Consultants







**

and

Polarity Management® Map

Tsarist(Part)

Communist(Whole)

Thriving Nation

Declining Nation

• Freedom for some to empower themselves or inherit power.

• Uniqueness affirmed for those with power.

• Initiative supported for individuals at top of hierarchy.

• Equality emphasized for everyone – we are all “comrades.”

• Connectedness – we are in this together.

• Collaboration supported on behalf of the community.

• Gross inequality with increasing gap between haves and have-nots.

• Isolation and resentment of Tsar.

• Resentment for top of hierarchy.

• Loss of freedom by all for self-empowerment.

• Excess conformity demanded by the state.

• Loss of individual initiative and creativity.


Polarity Map © 1992, 2008 Polarity Management Associates, LLC

Values = positive results from focusing on the left pole

Values = positive results from focusing on the right pole

Fears = negative results from over-focusing on the left pole to the neglect of the right pole

Fears = negative results from over-focusing on the right pole to the neglect of the left pole



**

andPart Whole

Thriving Nation

Declining Nation

• Freedom (liberty)

• that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

• Equality

• We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights

• Inequality • Loss of Freedom



Polarity Map © 1992, 2008 Polarity Management Associates, LLC

Values = positive results from focusing on the left pole

Values = positive results from focusing on the right pole

Fears = negative results from over-focusing on the left pole to the neglect of the right pole

Fears = negative results from over-focusing on the right pole to the neglect of the left pole



**

andPart Whole

Thriving Nation

Declining Nation

• Freedom (liberty)

• Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation conceived in liberty,

• Equality

• And dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

• Inequality • Loss of Freedom



Higher Purpose = Why Balance This Polarity? Synergistic value – achieve the company vision. Greater value to company

Deeper Fear from Lack of Balance? Some of the existing BU’s will not exist

Fortune 100 Company - USA



*


left pole:

1. Reason to believe – further along on the life cycle – operational

2. More clear goals/focus

3. Brings in cash

4. Speed/nimble

5. Easier for employees & customers to be connected (more traditional)

6. High level of control within the BU

7. BU initiative and creativity

8. Products/services better defined

9. Aligning ee interest/skill sets w/BU

Positive results from focusing on this Right pole:

1. Synergy/coordination

2. Strategic advantage (distinctive)

3. Greater leverage of capabilities and broader skill set

4. Integrator

5. New revenue streams

6. Insulation of ingredient sales

7. Different customer relations

8. More emphasis on intangibles (IP)

9. Less capital intensive

10.Knowledge generation/sharing

Negative results of over-focusing on this left pole to the neglect of the Right pole:

1. Higher costs/duplication of effort

2. Focus is too narrow/siloed/myopic

3. Loss of biz opps

4. Less sustainability of value

5. Lessened ability to integrate techs

6. Less leverage of capabilities

7. Less competitive advantage

8. More intense external competition

9. Less knowledge sharing

10.Less employee networking/career opps

Negative results of over-focusing on this Right pole to the neglect of the Left pole:

1. More overhead

2. Bureaucratic and slow

3. Lack of clarity (internally & externally)

4. Lack of focus on ingredient sales

5. Narrower customer base

6. Slower to market/slower dev of new ingredients

7. Loss of cash flow

8. Loss of some specific capabilities or individuals (specialty ingred skills)

Action StepsAction steps to gain or maintain the positive

results from focusing on the Right pole.

1. Merging common functions and assets (quantifying and creating synergy value) – see budget mtg action list (end of April)

2. Specifically plan projects that grow ingredient sales – Sal by June 1, 2003

3. Target key BU customers and take an integrated/systems approach to unseat the incumbent

4. BUs forwarding project ideas and/or customers for solutions approach for the company (Corp. Steering Team)

5. Within BUs, develop ingredients or derivative systems that achieve company goals (i.e. achieve consumer needs) – Bob and Bruce initial discussion by May 14, 2003

6. Share/assign xxx contacts between BUs and CST, identify ee within BU to lead sales effort with specific customer – Bob to get xxx list compiled by June 15, 2003 – Mary and Sam to assign appropriate sales contact for target customers by May 14, 2003

Action StepsAction steps to gain or maintain the positive

results from focusing on this left pole.

1. Higher capital authority level (increase amount for BU) and processing speed – Bob and Dave will make recommendation – May 14, 2003

2. Take a common customer approach with 3-5 selected customers (where we have them between BUs and/or w/company, work together synergistically) – Sam – May 14, 2003

3. Mary & Ed meet to share customers and have a common sales approach

4. Joint sales training (more sophisticated) – have initial design discussions

5. Joint development of ingredient systems (look harder when we go to a customer about other systems we have access to in the company – work together with the company to figure out how we are going to develop ingredient systems) – SEE COMPANY UPSIDE 4 and 5 GREEN FLAGS

Early Warnings***

Measurable indicators (things you can count) that will let you know that you are getting into the downside of the left pole.

1. We don’t address the duplication of effort (trend line on SG&A as a percentage of gross profit)

2. Platform “the approach” revenue goals are not met

3. Less knowledge sharing (how measure? Call reports?)


that will let you know that you are getting into the downside of the Right pole.

1. Meeting audit (measure of value, speed of decision making)

2. BU revenue goals are not met

3. Shrinking BU customer base

4. Engagement survey q’s that relate to lack of clarity

CompanyBU

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Polarity Management™ BibliographyANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY References for Implementing Polarity Thinking – Below are recent books that provide application and examples of Polarity Management in action Anderson, Kathy. Polarity Coaching: Coaching People and Managing Polarities. Amherst: HRDPress, 2010. Seven case studies showing coaching applications and how to use the polarity map as a wisdom organizer and action planning tool

Johnson, Barry, Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. Amherst: HRD Press, 1994.

Johnson shares a number of case examples in which the shift from seeing an issue as a problem to solve to managing it as a polarity added real value for individual leaders and for organizations.

Johnson, Barry & Roy M. Oswald. Managing Polarities in Congregations: Eight Keys for Thriving Faith Communities. Alban Institute: 2009. Eight key polarities common to faith communities, well defined and with suggestions for how to manage them. Seidler, Margaret. Power Surge: A Conduit for Enlightened Leadership. Amherst: HRD Press, 2008. Seidler has the most extensive list of values pairs available. This book provides the “how to” in helping leaders supplement their strengths and keep them from becoming vulnerabilities. Schuman, Amy, Stacy Stutz, John L. Ward. Family Business as Paradox. New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2010. Applies polarity management to the paradoxes of family run businesses. References on Polarities as important - Several books have been written that indicate leaders and organizations that manage polarities/dilemmas/paradox well outperform those that don't. Below is a short, annotated list of books with this theme: Collins, James C. and Jerry I. Porras. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.

Authors identify the "Genius of the 'AND'" as a central variable that distinguished the "Gold" companies from the "Silver" companies. The whole book is based on managing the polarity of “Preserve the Core & Stimulate Progress.” This could also be seen as the generic Stability & Change polarity. Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

The “Genius of the ‘And’” continues as an important variable in this book and is identified as a key characteristic of leaders moving companies from Good to Great. There are 10 polarities identified as central to becoming a level 5 leader. Dodd, Dominic and Ken Favaro. The Three Tensions: Winning the Struggle to Perform Without Compromise. John Wiley and Sons, 2007. Authors interview executives from 200 companies and identify 3important tensions (polarities) central to their organization’s effectiveness: Profitability & Growth; Today & Tomorrow; and, The Whole & Its Parts. de Wit, Bob and Ron Meyer. Strategy Synthesis: Resolving Strategy Paradoxes to Create Competitive Advantage. London: Thomson, 1999.

de Wit and Meyer identify 10 paradoxes (polarities) which are at the heart of strategic management.


Polarity Management™ BibliographyElsner, Richard and Bridget Farrands. Lost in Transition: How Business Leaders Can Successfully Take Charge In New Roles, London: Marshall Cavendish Limited, 2006. Authors identify 8 tensions (polarities) which, when managed well, contribute significantly to being successful in new jobs.

Fletcher, Jerry and Kelle Olwyler. Paradoxical Thinking: How to Profit From Your Contradictions. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 1997.“After more than fifteen years of studying thousands of detailed examples of people performing at their best, Fletcher and Olwyler have

found that individuals are always paradoxical when performing optimally and that each person has a particular combination of contradictory and paradoxical (polarity) qualities that work together to produce that person’s best work.” Hammett, Peter, Unbalanced Influence: Recognizing and Resolving the Impact of Myth and Paradox in Executive Performance. Davies-Black Publishing, 2007.

Ten year of executive research indicates the importance of paradox in executive performance. Hampden-Turner, Charles. Charting the Corporate Mind: Graphic Solutions to Business Conflicts. New York: The Free Press, 1990.

Charles Hampden-Turner has written several books on the advantage of managing dilemmas in which his research shows that those companies that manage key dilemmas well outperform those that don't. Hampden-Turner, Charles and Alfons Trompenaars. The Seven Cultures of Capitalism: Value Systems for Creating Wealth in the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, and The Netherlands. New York: Doubleday, 1993. ---.Building Cross-Cultural Competence: How to Create Wealth from Conflicting Values. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars identify 6 dilemmas (polarities) which must be managed to support cross-cultural competence. Handy, Charles. The Age of Paradox. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1994.

Handy builds on his earlier work, The Age of Unreason, to assert the balancing of paradoxes (polarities) at the heart not just of effective personal and organizational life, but of our survival as a world community. Hickman, Craig R. Mind of a Manager Soul of a Leader. New York: John Wylie & Sons,

1990.Support for the benefits of paradoxical thinking also show up in Hickman's book the title of which is a fundamental polarity in

leadership.

Hofstede, Geert. Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. London: Sage Publications, Ltd., 2001.

Hofstede identifies 5 dimensions (polarities) of national culture to help us tap national differences as a resource. Johnston, Charles M. Necessary Wisdom: Meeting the Challenge of a New Cultural Maturity. Seattle: ICD Press, 1991.

Johnston identifies 5 key polarity domains within culture and asserts the importance of understanding and bridging polarities. Managing polarities are at the heart of wisdom and cultural maturity and how we “must learn to think and act if our future is to be a healthy one.”


Polarity Management™ BibliographyMartin, Roger. The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2007. Drawing on research and interviews, Martin shows that truly successful leaders are skilled at holding two opposing ideas at the same time and reaching a synthesis that contains elements of both, but improves on each. Pascale, Richard Tanner. Managing on the Edge: How the Smartest Companies Use Conflict to Stay Ahead. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

Pascale identifies "managing contention better" as the key variable that separated the 14 companies that kept their "excellent" rating from the 29 that did not when looking at the 43 companies identified in the book In Search of Excellence. What he means by "managing contention" is managing polarities/dilemmas/paradoxes and he identifies 7 giving examples of each.Quinn, Robert E. Beyond Rational Management: Mastering the Paradoxes and Competing Demands of High Performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.

Quinn asserts that mastering paradox (polarity) is the central to high performance.Quinn, Robert E. Building The Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.

Quinn identifies 8 polarities as “The fundamental state of leadership.” Sisodia, Raj, Jag Sheth, and David B. Wolfe. Firms of Endearment: How World Class Companies Profit from Passion And Purpose. Wharton School Publishing, 2007.

The authors discovered that the key indicator for whether a company is a great investment is the degree to which it manages the polarity of taking care of the stockholders & the stakeholders. In other words attending to company interests & the interests of the larger community in which the company exists.