Moving Beyond Polarity For Better Solutions
I was working with a board on some fundraising training and some were taking to it more than others. The ED was a bit frustrated by the ones who weren't taking to it. She asked if instead we use the rest of the time on training staff instead of the board.
We got on a call and talked it through. Her thinking was BOARD or STAFF. One or the other. And that is typical of POLARITY thinking which is super common in our culture. Black or white, left or right, mean or nice, love or hate.
Thinking in polarities keeps us stuck in a win/lose perspective. Moving beyond polarities into what I call The Influential Third allows us to create scenarios where everyone can get what they need from a situation.
Let's go back to the board story. I thought: What is beyond this polarity? I suggested that the board members who LOVED the training (there were many!) stay on and the ones who didn't could stop. This allowed for the ones who weren't invested to stop the training, the ones who were invested to keep going, staff to get the board trained the way they wanted, and for me, having people in the training who really wanted to be there. WIN WIN WIN WIN.
Ask this question: Is this a problem to solve or a polarity that we can manage well?
Influential leaders see beyond the problem to the polarity, and create a third way where everyone can get what they want.
There's so much more in this episode of The Influential Nonprofit to help you find new solutions and possibilities!
I would love to know what what problems you can now see as polarities and what new solutions came through for you. Hit reply and let me know.
In case no one has told you yet today, you are awesome.
Maryanne
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