1.5 - About University

The Individual—Team PolarityIndividualSome Upsides:• quick action—no need to involve others• encourages individual initiative• efficient—no need for meetings• can work in idiosyncratic waysSome Downsides:• loss of team synergy• selfishness, small-mindedness• loneliness• loss of sharing and organizational learningTeamSome Upsides:• support and encouragement of others• can achieve things as a team thatindividual could not• a sense of belongingSome Downsides:• groupthink• time-consuming• need to deal with interpersonal conflictsIn managing polarities, watch for two dysfunctional camps, each with an either–or mindset (half the picture):➠➠Crusaders see the status quo as a mistake, and want to move toward the upside ofchange (their solution).Tradition-bearers approach change as a mistake, seeing only what might be lost and thedownsides of change.H OW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL“... in our organizations, there are often very serious and costly confrontations that take place because a‘both/and’ polarity is treated like an ‘either/or’ problem to solve.”—Barry Johnson, POLARITY MANAGEMENTFollow these steps to manage polarities:1. Get those who have a stake in the issue together, and name the polarity or polaritiesthat seem to be at the heart of the issue.2. As in the diagram on the worksheet, discuss the upsides and downsides of the polarityor polarities that seem to be present (each of the four quadrants, as shown). Visiblyrecord collective agreements.3. Decide on action plans to maximize the benefits and minimize the downsides of thepolarity. (Examples might be providing alternatives so that some work could be directedtoward team goals, and some toward individual goals; the same could be done forrewards and recognition, roles and responsibilities, and so on.)When dealing with two dysfunctional camps (crusaders and tradition-bearers), do the bestyou can to help both develop a more balanced perspective of the upsides and downsides in thechange being proposed. Help crusaders find value in what others have built, and help tradition-bearersaccept that a degree of risk accompanies any benefit of change.SECTION 7 TOOLS FOR PROBLEM SOLVING, DECISION MAKING, AND QUALITY 213