Rochester Institute of Technology

1. Rochester Institute of Technology Polarity Thinking: A Look across RIT Margaret Seidler, MPA, Polarity Management Master www.mypowersurge.com Material based on work of Barry Johnson, PhD, Founder of Polarity Partnerships, LLC

2. Preferences Instructions: In your handout, notice that the two columns are related. The items in the left column are related 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.

3. 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 1

4. The Value of Either/Or Problem Solving • 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: • Can’t learn Language • Can’t learn Mathematics • Have no sense of History • Do notunderstand 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. • 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: • Language – How do you spell ________? • Mathematics – 4+4= _____ ? • History – Who was the conqueror of Mexico? • Bernal Diaz del Castillo ____? • Cuauhtemoc ____? • Hernan Cortez ____? • Benito Juarez ____ ? • Science – Why do apples fall down off trees rather than up? _____________________ • Morals – According to many cultures and religions murder is: • Right ____ Wrong ____ 2

5. Solution Problem

6. Solution Problem

8. Competitive Advantage • VALUES • Entrepreneurial Initiative • Speed and responsiveness • Business unit freedom and innovation • Business unit recognition 2 Solution • Integration of business units • Collaboration and mutual support • Equality and mutuality • Efficiencies of coordination Autonomous Business Units Integrated Business Units Strategy 3 Gap • Bureaucracy and red tape • Slow and unresponsive • Excess conformity and lack of innovation • Lack of unit recognition • Fears • Silos – isolation of the units • Excess competition • Inequality between the units • Redundancies Problem 1 Can’t Compete

9. Competitive Advantage • VALUES • Entrepreneurial Initiative • Business unit creativity • Business unit freedom • Business unit recognition • VALUES • Integration of business units • Collaboration and mutual support • Equality and mutuality • Efficiencies of coordination Solution Autonomous Business Units Integrated Business Units • FEARS • Silos – isolation of the units • Excess competition • Inequality between the units • Redundancies • FEARS • Bureaucracy and red tape • Lack of business unit creativity • Excess conformity • Lack of unit recognition Problem Can’t Compete

10. and Competitive Advantage • VALUES • Entrepreneurial Initiative • Speed and responsiveness • Business unit freedom & innovation • Business unit recognition • VALUES • Integration of business units • Collaboration and mutual support • Equality and mutuality • Efficiencies of coordination 3 Autonomous Business Units Integrated Business Units • FEARS • Bureaucracy and red tape • Slow and unresponsive • Excess conformity and lack of innovation • Lack of unit recognition • FEARS • Silos – isolation of the units • Excess competition • Inequality between the units • Redundancies Can’t Compete

11. 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

12. Student Centered and Professional Development & Scholarship Centered Innovation and Traditional Ways Flexibility and Structure Teamwork/Collaboration and Individual Initiative Cross-college Divisions and My Department Growth of Grants and Quality of Grant Work Amenities and Academics Teaching and Learning Technology Focus and Research Focus Organizational Preferences

13. Conflict Issue What I want What they want What I don’t want What they don’t want

14. 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. Complex Issues can cause Conflict…

15. 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) How to deal with Complex or Conflicting Issues

16. Higher Common Purpose What I want What they want 5 Self Other What they Don’t want What I Don’t want

17. 11 Important Organizational Polarities From Polarity Management Associates Centralized Coordination AND Decentralized Initiatives Recognize the Individual AND Recognize the Team Reduce Cost AND Improve Quality Competing with Others AND Collaborating with Others Stability AND Change Celebrating Our Differences AND Celebrating Our Commonalities Care for My Part of the Organization AND Care for the Whole Organization Showing Respect for Every Person AND Showing Respect Based on Performance Getting the Job Done (task) AND Building Relationships Taking Care of the Organization AND Taking Care of the Customer Work AND Home 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 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 10 Strategic Management Polarities From Strategy Synthesis by Bob de Wit and Ron Meyer Logic AND Creativity Deliberateness AND Emergentness Revolution AND Evolution Markets AND Resources Responsiveness AND Synergy Competition AND Collaboration Compliance AND Choice Control AND Chaos Globalization AND Localization Profitability AND Responsibility

18. CHANGE Cultural & Operating practices, Goals & strategies PRESERVE Core Values Core Purpose 1994 Built to Last… The Genius of the “And” By Jim Collins & Jerry Porras

19. High Performing Organization Traditionalists Pioneers and Low Performing Organization

20. 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

21. 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 7 Traditionalists Pioneers - Boring, stuck Neglect the long term picture Hide from things that are broken Chaotic, loss of focus Overwhelmed by change Risky (fix anything AND everything – no matter need)

22. Polarity Thinking enhances Our ability to Identify and Appreciate our Past and Anticipate our Future. To: Solution Preferred Future To: An historical strength which leads to the downside below. 8 Stability Change Unanticipated Consequences New Problem From: Problem Present State

23. Key Points Every change effort is part of a polarity energy system. Treating a polarity as if it were a problem to solve Reduces the attainability Slows down the process by increasing resistance Even if the resistance is overcome, the goal of the change effort is inherently unsustainable 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 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

24. What practical applications do you see for polarity methods? How will you take this back? What steps can you take within the coming summer break, new school year? Who can you join with to make this happen? 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? Taking it Home! 10

25. Margaret Seidler Author of Power Surge For more info go to… www.mypowersurge.com Thank You! 11