Throughout most of our formal education we’re encouraged to solve problems which have only one correct answer. This means that all the other answers are wrong. Polarity management moves us away from the one-answer approach to a problem. It invites us to look at things in a different way allowing for more than one right answer, all of which are interdependent (Johnson, 1998). The polarity management approach aims to create a win-win outcome.
When parents teach children how to share, they’re addressing a polarity issue, where two interdependent answers are both right. The child is taught that by sharing she can create a win-win situation where both she and her friend get to enjoy something (Johnson, 1998). In adulthood, polarity management can equally invite people to seek win-win solutions. It can promote looking at the whole spectrum of available choices, seeking the advantages of all alternatives.
Johnson (1998) warns that neither the one-answer approach nor polarity management can offer best results on their own. He further states that polarity management is a “supplement to either/or thinking not a replacement” (p. 4). So as we coach and develop others, we can enjoy the benefits of adding polarity management to the picture. It will promote a broader range of options to the coachee. When someone is struggling with finding a solution to a problem, invite them to look at the other side of the spectrum. This may offer a whole new interpretation of the original problem.
Johnson, B. (June 1998). Polarity Management: A Summary Introduction. Polarity Management Associates.
