barry johnson stia presentation

Copyright © PMA 2002 Polarity Map ™ 1

Leveraging Polarities

For Individuals, Organizations, & Nations

Systems Thinking In Action

Presented by: Barry Johnson

April 2014

This material is based on work by Barry Johnson and Polarity Management Associates


Three Parts:

• Personal History

• Polarity Thinking

• Justice AND Mercy


Personal History – First Protest 1963

I have a dream… 200,000 gather


East Harlem - Civil Rights 1965 - 1970


Clergy and Laity Concerned About Viet Nam 1966

Refuse Induction 1968


Learn how to create healthy systems rather than just protest unhealthy systems. 1969 – 1975

Gestalt Institute of Cleveland 1973-75

First Polarity Map – 1975

Last 39 years learning about polarities


Effective Leadership

This material is based on work by Barry Johnson and Polarity Partnerships LLC – www.polaritypartnerships.com

Clear Flexible

Rigid Ambiguous

Tight Looseand


Visionary Groundedand




Self Assured Humbleand




Directive Participativeand




Task Relationshipand




DecentralizeParts

CentralizeWhole

and

Effective Organization



Short Term Long Termand




Profitability Growthand




Cost Qualityand




Continuity Transformationand




Why leverage polarities?

Move toward your preferred future faster and more sustainably

Increase you capacity to see-love yourself and others more completely

Make a difference and enjoy life


Tense

Overwhelmed

Boring

Loss of Energy

Relaxed

Rejuvenated

Stimulated

Challenged

Activity Restand


Activity Rest


* 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

*

**

and

Increased endurance

Muscles build

Run a Marathon

RestActivity

Muscle injury Muscle atrophy

Can’t Run a Marathon

Actions Steps: Actions Steps:

Run further on each workout day

Get adequate down time between workout days

Early Warnings: Early Warnings:

Feeling tired when you wake up in the morning

Missing a workout day

Greater Purpose


Can’t Complete Marathon

Muscles Atrophy

Lethargic

Achy Muscles

Exhausted

Rest

Finish Marathon

Stimulated

Muscles Condition

Rejuvenated

Muscles Rest/Develop

Activity


Healthy Life

Unhealthy Life

and

Relaxed

Rejuvenated

Stimulated

Challenged

Rest

Tense

Overwhelmed

Bored

Loss of Energy

Activity


Independence Interdependenceand

Systems Thinking



Parts Partsand

Systems Thinking



Parts Wholesand

Systems Thinking


Over Time


Left Pole Right Poleand

Polarity Thinking is Systems Thinking


The most basic system is 2


Polarity assumptions:

Seeing is Loving – Jack Gibb

If we can see a person, organization or country completely, we will love them.

A polarity lens helps us see ourselves and others more completely – increasing our capacity to love.


Polarity assumptions:

No person, organization or nation is above accountability…

Or, below forgiveness

ANDJustice Mercy


GoodEvil

Either/or Assumptions about good and evil:

1. The more you move toward good the more you move away from evil.


GoodEvil



2. Laws with conseqences are good


GoodEvil




3. More laws = better


GoodEvil





4. Harsher consequencs = better


GoodEvil



2. Laws with consequences are good


4. Harsher consequences = better

5. Action = stone a woman to death for being pregnant an not married. We do it with self-righteous indignation.

Evil


What would you do?



Me Not Meand

Deflect and Project on “Not Me”

Should be: Good

HonestSmart = IQHold Power

Can’t access: Good

DiplomaticHigh EQ

Share Power

Become: EvilCruel

Low EQAbuse Power

Can’t be: EvilDishonestStupid = IQ

Weak

Fear!



Me Not Meand


Should be: GoodHonest

Smart = IQHold Power

Can’t access: GoodDiplomatic

High EQShare Power

Become: EvilCruel

Low EQAbuse Power


Weak



Me Not Meand


Should be: GoodHonest

Smart = IQHold Power

Can’t access: GoodDiplomatic

High EQShare Power

Become: EvilCruel

Low EQAbuse Power


Weak

Fear!



WhitePrivileged

ColorUnderprivilegedand


Should be: Good

HonestSmart = IQHold Power


DiplomaticHigh EQ

Share Power

Become: EvilCruel

Low EQAbuse Power


Weak

✔✔Accountable Loved

Fear!



United States Russiaand

Deflect and Project on the “Evil Empire”

Should be: Good

CapitalismFreedom


CommunismEquality

Become: EvilCapitalismInequality

Can’t be: EvilCommunism

Lose Freedom✔✔

Accountable Loved

Fear!


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

Truth and Reconciliation



*

**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.

andGrace

General AmnestyChile

LawNuremburg Trials

Germany

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

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.


Why leverage polarities?


Continuity Transformationand

Move toward your preferred future faster and more sustainably



Justice Mercyand

Increase you capacity to see-love yourself and others more completely



Doing Beingand

Make a difference and enjoy life


We can do this! Love, Barry


Polarities are energy systems that are:

1. Unavoidable 2. Unsolvable3. Indestructible 4. Unstoppable5. Free6. Leverage-able


Higher Purpose = Why Balance This Polarity?

Deeper Fear from Lack of Balance?

Generic Part & Whole Polarity



*

**Positive results from focusing on this

left pole:

1. Freedom

2. Uniqueness3. Initiative of

each part


1.Equality

2.Connectedness3.Synergy of all parts


1.Inequality

2.Isolation3.Lack of coordination


1.Over-control

2.Sameness3.Excess Conformity

Early Warnings***

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

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.

Action StepsHow will we gain or maintain the positive

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

1.


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

1.

WholePart


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

Deeper Fear from lack of balance

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

**

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 Management® Map

Declaration of Independence


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




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

**

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

Polarity Management® Map

Gettysburg Address


VS


and WholePart

Thriving Democracy

Declining Democracy


Thriving Democracy

Declining Democracy



*


left pole:

Tea Party

1. Freedom


each part


Big Government

1.Over-control


WholePart

Tea Party Point of View


Thriving Democracy

Declining Democracy



*

**Positive results from focusing on this right pole:

Occupy Wall Street

1.Equality



Big Money

1.Inequality


WholePart

Occupy Wall Street Point of View


Thriving Democracy

Declining Democracy



*


left pole:

Tea Party

1. Freedom


each part


Occupy Wall Street

1.Equality



Big Money

1.Inequality



Big Government

1.Over-control


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.


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

1.

Regulation


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

1.

Deregulation

EqualityWhole

FreedomPart

Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street


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

Early Warnings***


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

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

the left poleValues = positive results from focusing on the right pole



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


*

**

&

Healthy Safe World

Unhealthy, Unsafe World

Mercy with Forgiveness

Justice withConsequences

1. Increase in the number of laws and harshness of punishment.

2. Increase in blaming and expressed hatred for others.

1. Increased abuse of the less powerful by the more powerful.

2. Increased complaints of uncertainty, fear and chaos.

1. Treat all people with dignity, love, and compassion.

2. Listen to people, regardless of status.

3. Recognize your self in the other.

1. Agree on laws to live by.2. Agree on consequences.3. Agree on fair processes to

determine guilt or innocence.

Laws with consequences provide order and accountability. They also provide predictability, protection, consequential thinking and community through shared agreements and compliance.

Grace with forgiveness provides unconditional love and hope. They also provide relief, gratitude, and community membership, in spite of noncompliance.

Laws and consequences without grace and forgiveness leads to guilt, and despair. It also leads to being judgmental, legalistic punitive, and the loss of community membership through noncompliance.

Grace and forgiveness without laws and consequences leads to disorder, and no accountability. It also leads to vulnerability to bullies while no shared agreements undermines community.

The Infinity Factor™ Within Justice and Mercy


*

& WholePart

&

&

&

&

&

&

&Seeing Evil in Ourselves

Seeing Evil in Others

ImpactIntent

Other RelianceSelf Reliance

Both/AndThinking

Either/OrThinkng

StabilityChange

MercyJustice

SpiritualSecular

&Seeing

Greatness in Others

Seeing Greatness

in Self

Inequality and Isolation -

Lack of the spiritual -

Guilt, judgementalism -And projection

Imposition on others, chaos -

I am right and you are wrong -

Power hoarding -

Neglect of impact -

Self righteous indignation -

Arrogant condescention

-Loss of Freedom

-Lack of science

-Overtolerating victomization

-Rigid unresponsive

-Indecisive

-Excessive dependency

-Politically correct and immobilized

-Feeling guilty and deserve punishment

-Ignoring own potential

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