Polarity Mapping Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems

Problems Red Car, White Car What movie to see Which restaurant to go to Which pump to buy What kind of band aid

Problems without solutions Times of rapid change Complex environments Dilemmas in culture, leadership, strategy and daily living Energies sparring off I have 2 dogs – compact vs SUV

Why are we doing it? Why should I care? Helps to achieve your changes Speeds up the process – works through resistance Sustainability Manages change Stay in positive energy states to be indestructible and unstoppable

Leaders and Managers that manage their polarities well out-perform those that don’t

How do you know when you have a polarity to manage? Is the difficulty ongoing? Are there two poles which are independent?

Examples System centered/client centered Centralization/decentralization Top down/bottom up Cost/Quality Short term/long term Tradition bearers/Innovators Competition/Collaboration Directive leadership/Flexible leadership

Tradition Bearers Innovators Either/ Or

Clear LeaderFlexible Leader Polarity Two-Step Starts in either quadrant Rigid Impractical “He won’t listen” “It’s my way or the highway” Clear Directions Clear Guidelines Clear vision Clear expectations Flexible Listens to Reason Willing to adjust to situations Easy to work with Ambiguity Lack of Direction “Too wishy-washy” “You never know where she stands” The Misunderstood Leader

Tradition Bearers Innovators POLARITY MAP BOTH / AND

Clear LeaderFlexible Leader Stay in the positive Rigid Impractical “He won’t listen” “It’s my way or the highway” Clear Directions Clear Guidelines “She let’s us know what she is expecting” “He has a clear vision and sticks with it!” Flexible “Listens to Reason” “Willing to adjust to new circumstances” Ambiguity Lack of Direction “Too wishy-washy” “You never know where she stands” Avoid the negative – these are warning signs.

PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS?

Practice Time

Examples of groups Nurse and Physicians Surgeons and Anesthetists LPNs and Health Care Aides Quality Improvement and Risk Management Many, Many others

CBODN Presented by: Barry Johnson and Cliff Kayser April 30, 2010 This book belongs to _____________________ This material is based on work by Barry Johnson and Polarity Management Associates Tapping The Infinity Factor™ Within Yourself, Your Family, Country, Humanity, Nature, and Spirit

Focus on the ‘anatomy’ of change The structures, levers, systems, and process to drive change Focus on the ‘physiology’ of change The ‘life forces’ that create energy, engagement, confidence, mobilization for change Polarities to manage for change at scale – NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement – Leading Large Scale Change – 2011 – Bernard Crump/Helen Bevan Compliance Hierarchies, systems and standardized procedures for co- ordination and control Commitment Co-ordination and control mechanisms based on shared goals, values, and sense of purpose 2 examples at scale

Polarity Mapping is NOT:

A few resources Johnson, Barry, Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. Amherst: HRD Press, 1992, Johnson, B., Kayser, C. Tapping the Infinity Factor PPT 2010 (Tons of resources in a Bibliography here) Bevan, H., Crump, B. Polarities to manage for change at scale – NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement – Leading Large Scale Change. 2011

Katie Procter – Quality Leader BC Patient Safety and Quality Council Office: BB: