rochester institute of technology

Copyright © PMA 2002 Polarity Map ™ 1

Rochester Institute of Technology

Polarity Thinking: A Look across RIT

Margaret Seidler, MPA, Polarity Management Masterwww.mypowersurge.com

Material based on work of Barry Johnson, PhD, Founder of Polarity Partnerships, LLC


Preferences

Instructions: In your handout, notice that the twocolumns are related. The items in the left column arerelated to the corresponding item in the right column.

Go through the list and circle the alternative you prefer. The one on the left or the one on the right.


Session Purpose

• Transfer your personal learning to organizational opportunities and challenges

• Experience a more thorough examination of chronic, complex issues

• Reveal connections between opposing views in the name of a Greater Purpose that is unifying

• Support your understanding and ability to ask questions/make contributions with difficult issues

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The Value of Either/Or Problem Solving

Positive results from Either/Or Thinking

Either/Or Thinking is essential for one generation to pass key elements of its culture on to the next generation:

1. Language – How do you spell ________?

2. Mathematics – 4+4= _____ ?

3. History – Who was the conqueror of Mexico?

Bernal Diaz del Castillo ____?

Cuauhtemoc ____?

Hernan Cortez ____?

Benito Juarez ____ ?

4. Science – Why do apples fall down off trees rather than up? _____________________

5. Morals – According to many cultures and religions murder is:

Right ____ Wrong ____

Negative results from rejecting Either/Or Thinking

Without Either/Or Thinking, one generation could not pass key elements of its culture to the next generation:

1. Can’t learn Language

2. Can’t learn Mathematics

3. Have no sense of History

4. Do not understand the basics of how the world works.

5. No moral compass – don’t know the difference between right and wrong.

Two important results from getting the right answer:

• Success and rewards = “A” grades etc.

• When you are right, those who disagree with you are wrong.

2


Problem

Solution

Competitive Advantage

• Silos – isolation of the units

• Excess competition

• Inequality between the units

• Redundancies

Can’t Compete

Problem 1

2 Solution

IntegratedBusiness Units

AutonomousBusiness Units

• Integration of business units

• Collaboration and mutual support

• Equality and mutuality

• Efficiencies of coordination

3

Stra

tegy

• Bureaucracy and red tape

• Slow and unresponsive

• Excess conformity and lack of innovation

• Lack of unit recognition

Fears

Gap

VALUES

• Entrepreneurial Initiative

• Speed and responsiveness

• Business unit freedom and innovation

• Business unit recognition


Can’t Compete

FEARS• Bureaucracy and red tape• Lack of business unit creativity• Excess conformity• Lack of unit recognition

VALUES

• Integration of business units• Collaboration and mutual support• Equality and mutuality• Efficiencies of coordination

FEARS• Silos – isolation of the units• Excess competition• Inequality between the units• Redundancies

VALUES

• Entrepreneurial Initiative• Business unit creativity• Business unit freedom • Business unit recognition

Problem

Solution

IntegratedBusiness Units



Can’t Compete

VALUES• Integration of business units

• Collaboration and mutual support

• Equality and mutuality

• Efficiencies of coordination

FEARS• Silos – isolation of the units

• Excess competition

• Inequality between the units

• Redundancies

and IntegratedBusiness Units


VALUES

• Entrepreneurial Initiative

• Speed and responsiveness

• Business unit freedom & innovation

• Business unit recognition

FEARS• Bureaucracy and red tape

• Slow and unresponsive

• Excess conformity and lack of innovation

• Lack of unit recognition

3


Putting Polarity Thinking to Work

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

4


Organizational Preferences

Student Centered and Professional Development & Scholarship Centered

Innovation and Traditional WaysFlexibility and Structure

Teamwork/Collaboration and Individual InitiativeCross-college Divisions and My DepartmentGrowth of Grants and Quality of Grant Work

Amenities and AcademicsTeaching and Learning

Technology Focus and Research Focus


What they

don’t want

What they

want

What I

don’t want

What I

want

Conflict Issue


Complex Issues can cause Conflict…

• Get winners and losers.• Lose sight of the big picture.• Stop listening to the “other” side.• Limit possibilities and options because we are

focused on being “right.”• Can engender anger, resentment, even hate.


How to deal with Complex or Conflicting Issues

• Articulate a Goal “Greater Purpose” of common interest (At the end of the day, we all want…)

• Recognize that multiple viewpoints exist and are essential

• Understand how to get the best of differences• Consciously manage the tension over time• Bring awareness of the complexity in a simple way

(Introduce Polarity Thinking)


What they

Don’t want

What they want

What I

Don’t want

What I

want

Self Other

Higher Common Purpose

5


11 Important Organizational PolaritiesFrom Polarity Management Associates

Centralized Coordination AND Decentralized InitiativesRecognize the Individual AND Recognize the Team

Reduce Cost AND Improve QualityCompeting with Others AND Collaborating with Others

Stability AND ChangeCelebrating Our Differences AND Celebrating Our Commonalities

Care for My Part of the Organization AND Care for the Whole OrganizationShowing Respect for Every Person AND Showing Respect Based on Performance

Getting the Job Done (task) AND Building RelationshipsTaking Care of the Organization AND Taking Care of the Customer

Work AND Home

10 Strategic Management PolaritiesFrom Strategy Synthesis by Bob de Wit and Ron Meyer

Logic AND CreativityDeliberateness AND Emergentness

Revolution AND EvolutionMarkets AND Resources

Responsiveness AND SynergyCompetition AND Collaboration

Compliance AND ChoiceControl AND Chaos

Globalization AND LocalizationProfitability AND Responsibility

7 Organizational Polarities From Managing on the Edge by Richard Tanner Pascale

(Left column = the 7 areas of “Excellence” from In Search of Excellence)

Strategy ……...Planned AND Opportunistic

Structure…..….Elitist AND Pluralistic

Systems..……..Mandatory AND Discretionary

Style…………..Managerial AND Transformational

Staff…………..Collegiality AND Individuality

Shared Values…Hard Minds AND Soft Hearts

Skills…………..Maximize AND Meta-mize

3 Organizational Polarities From The Three Tensions

by Dominic Dodd and Ken Favaro

Profitability AND Growth

Today AND Tomorrow

The Whole AND The Parts

1 Organizational Polarity From Built to Last by Collins and Porras

Preserve the Core AND Stimulate Progress

6


CHANGECultural &Operating practices,Goals &

strategiesPRESERVECore Values

Core Purpose

1994 Built to Last…The Genius of the

“And”By Jim Collins &

Jerry Porras


High Performing Organization

Low Performing Organization

and PioneersTraditionalists


Value of Differences

Traditionalists

– Honor the past– Celebrate successes– Strong connection to

core purpose– Risk adverse

Pioneers

– See what “can” be– Seek to try different

approaches– Recognize the need

for change– Will take risk to

improve


The Polarity of People at Work

•+•Fresh new ideas, excited•Innovate for the future•Fix what is broken

•+•Predictable, comfortable•Build momentum on current work•Avoid unnecessary risk

Pio

neers

Tra

dit

ion

ali

sts

Chaotic, loss of focusOverwhelmed by

changeRisky (fix anything AND everything – no

matter need)

-Boring, stuck

Neglect the long term picture

Hide from things that are broken

7

From:

Problem

Present State

To:

Solution

Preferred Future

Stability Change

To:

An historical strength which leads to the downside below.

Unanticipated Consequences

New Problem

Polarity Thinking enhancesOur ability to Identify and

Appreciate our Past and Anticipate our Future.

8

Key Points

1. Every change effort is part of a polarity energy system.

2. Treating a polarity as if it were a problem to solvea. Reduces the attainability

b. Slows down the process by increasing resistance

c. Even if the resistance is overcome, the goal of the change effort is inherently unsustainable

3. If you want to guarantee the failure of a change effort, tie it to one pole of a polarity. If you want success, tie it to both poles

4. Because polarities are indestructible, any polarity you identify will be a solid base on which to build a sustainable change and a sustainable organization.

9


Taking it Home!1. What practical applications do you see for polarity

methods?

2. How will you take this back?

3. What steps can you take within the coming summer break, new school year?

4. Who can you join with to make this happen?

5. What's likely to get in your way of what you see as possible now at the end of this session, and how can you best address that now and anticipate/find support?

10


Thank You!

Margaret SeidlerAuthor of Power Surge

For more info go to…www.mypowersurge.com

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