Optimal Decision-Making Requires Polarity Thinking

In today's increasingly complex, unpredictable and rapidly changing world, fraught with multifaceted challenges involving many variables and multiple players, optimal decision-making requires moving beyond the simplistic “either/or” mindset to embrace the more sophisticated and differentiated “both/AND” approach.

Both in life and at work, we tend to see challenges as problems to be solved, rather than polarities to be managed. Solving a problem comes down to thinking “either/or”, because there's only one right or best answer, while solving a polarity requires thinking “both/AND” to capture the combined benefits of interconnected and competing priorities to create the optimal conditions for success.

We find polarities in every aspect of our lives, from our careers and leadership roles to our personal relationships. Should we take care of ourselves or prioritize the needs of others? As a leader, do you provide your team with structure or flexibility? How can we take time to reflect, while also acting decisively?

When polarities are involved, and the benefits of both alternatives are experienced simultaneously, individuals and organizations thrive. Conversely, when the focus is on one of the alternatives to the exclusion of the other, individuals and organizations underperform.

Polarity thinking is a concept based on “both/AND” choices. What are the benefits? 

In a predictable world, where things can be mapped out and planned in advance – “either/or” thinking is the logical approach to problem solving and involves looking for the only right or best solution. For example: either you decide to change jobs, or you don’t. 

However, when faced with an unpredictable, uncertain and rapidly changing world, where it’s difficult to anticipate and where past experience has limited predictive value, it is best to look at the bigger picture, to think in terms of “both/AND” and to consider both sides of the polarity.

Here are a few examples of polarities: in leadership, clarity and flexibility, directive and participatory, task-focused and relationship-focused; in organizations, centralization and decentralization, short-term and long-term, cost and quality; for individuals, work and life, intuition and facts, self and others.

A natural tension exists between these polarities, and always will – it's a feature of the system. Yet, as human beings, we are uncomfortable with this tension; we instinctively prefer to rush to a decision, choosing one option over another. But one-sided choices can lead to sub-optimal solutions.

Polarities have no single “right answer” or “solution”. They require “both/AND” thinking, rather than “either/or” thinking. The most effective decisions often lie in the space between binary choices.

“Both/AND” thinking as a component of leadership fitness

An example could be the following question: as a leader, how much time should I spend on tasks versus relationships to be an effective leader?

Using the lens of polarity, we will look at the two opposing poles of effective leadership to clarify the value (and risks) of focusing (or over-focusing) on each pole. We will use the Polarity Map  created by Barry Johnson in the 1970s to illustrate the two polarities.

On a piece of paper, we draw two axes and decide on the two opposite poles (in this case, task orientation and relationship orientation) as well as our GPS (Greater Purpose Statement), which in this example will be “Effective Leadership”. In other examples, it could be a thriving organization, fulfillment or well-being. The upper quadrants focus on the positive impacts of each pole, the lower quadrants on the negative impacts of each pole. After populating each quadrant, step back and reflect.

So, what looks like challenges are in fact interconnected pairs that interact dynamically. That is, they are not independent of each other, so that when you attempt to “solve” one of them, the other gains dominance. Rather than adopting an “either/or” approach, it is better to recognize the “both/AND”, and to act accordingly. There's a trade-off between focusing on tasks and focusing on relationships. We need to come up with parallel processes to develop a dual strategy that ensures proper task completion, while also paying attention to preserving and nurturing relationships.

Leadership competencies should really be laid out in pairs. The most effective leaders can hold two contrasting ideas in their minds at once. By avoiding binary thinking, you open up more possibilities for novel solutions that account for competing demands. Embrace the tensions - that's where innovation and wisdom live.

What are some strategies for navigating polarities more effectively?

Here are some strategies for navigating between polarities more effectively:

Reframe polarities as paradoxes to be embraced. Instead of seeing opposites as problems to be solved, see them as natural tensions to be managed. Seemingly contradictory truths can coexist if you adopt a “both/AND” mindset.

Seek “both/AND” solutions. Rather than adopting an “either/or” mentality, explore how you can simultaneously pursue opposing goals or values using creative integration leading to more inclusive and innovative solutions.

Switch from one polarity to the other. You don’t have to choose one pole over the other all the time. Intentionally shift from one priority to the other depending on the circumstances. Centralize decision-making in one phase, then decentralize it in the next.

Capitalize on the upsides of each pole. Identify the benefits of each opposing approach or value. Then devise hybrid strategies that leverage the advantages while mitigating the downsides with dynamic adjustments.

Final thoughts

The polarities framework defines a course of action that seeks to capitalize on the interconnected and complementary nature of different choices to achieve the best possible outcome in terms of leadership, negotiation and life skills.

Instead of feeling like you’re swinging on a pendulum between two opposing viewpoints that cannot coexist, you can harness their combined benefits to strike a sustainable, dynamic equilibrium that paves the way for new solutions.