Polarities are energy pairs we can leverage to achieve our preferred future faster with greater sustainability. They often show up as tough decisions or tensions: Should we centralize for system integration or decentralize to support entrepreneurial initiative? Should we preserve our core traditions or go after innovation? Also, leadership polarities live within us: Should we be clear or flexible? Should we be grounded or visionary?
With polarities, the answer is that we need both. To be effective with polarities, we need to use “AND” in our thinking. We need to leverage the benefits of centralization AND decentralization. When we use “OR” thinking to “solve” a polarity, we get in trouble. We are less likely to achieve the results we want. If we do get those results, it will be slower than necessary and will not be sustainable.
Polarities are unavoidable, unsolvable, indestructible, and unstoppable. This set of realities could be a bit troublesome except for two other realities of all polarities—they are free and can be leveraged.
In this session, you will learn:
• How to leverage or-thinking and and-thinking
• The five-step: seeing, mapping, assessing, learning, and leveraging
• How to map a polarity using the Polarity Map
• About and experience individual and system level assessment using the Polarity Assessment
Please register above to view this Webinar.
Cliff Kayser brings 25 years of experience as both a senior level internal OD positions (the Washington Post/the National Cooperative Bank) and as an external consultant and founder/president of Xperience. He holds master’s degrees in HR and OD from American University, is a graduate of the Georgetown Executive Leadership Coaching program, and is a PCC credential through the International Coaching Federation. In 2007 Cliff completed construction of Kayser Ridge Retreat and Learning Center, which serves as a primary location for the Polarity Mastery program and hosts Foundations in PACT™ and Advanced Applications in PACT™ Certification programs. Cliff’s application of Polarity Thinking™ theory and application is supported by his lifelong passion for study and practice of eastern philosophy and tai chi/martial arts.
Barry Johnson (he/him) created the first Polarity Map® and set of principles in 1975. Since then he has been learning and applying Polarity Thinking® with people and organizations all over the world. As Chairman of Polarity Partnerships, he continues to explore and promote supplementing or-thinking with and-thinking to enhance our quality of life on our planet.
With humility and pride, Barry continues to create a collaborative international community of polarity practitioners, including Mastery Program graduates, who are dedicated to the study and application of polarities in a variety of disciplines and situations.
Barry’s newest publication, And: Volume One – Foundations and And: Volume Two – Applications represent what he and his colleagues have learned about And-thinking since his first book, Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems, came out in 1992.
Barry is an avid outdoorsman and intrepid traveler, and he brings head and heart together in his teaching and consulting. Barry and his wife, Dana, have five children and 11 grandchildren.
