And – Making a Difference by Leveraging Polarity, Paradox or Dilemma
AND is a resource for people who want to make a positive difference. How? By overcoming two obstacles: resistance to change and polarization. From a problem-solving perspective, either of these challenges could be overwhelming. From a Polarity Thinking™ perspective, both can be addressed by replacing Or with And when And is required. Regardless of the size of the system that you want to change, this book guides you through a clear process:
- Seeing: Is this an issue where And is required?
- Mapping: How can I see a more complete picture and respect alternative views?
- Assessing: How are we doing with this polarity?
- Learning: What can we learn from our assessment results?
- Leveraging: What action steps will we take to make a positive difference?
Reading this book will help you address resistance to your efforts to make a difference. Also, it will help you address chronic conflicts that become vicious cycles as both sides become more polarized. You will learn when and how to bring And into your efforts to make a positive difference. When done well, supplementing Or-thinking with And-thinking will help you convert the wisdom of those resisting change into a resource to support a more effective change. And-thinking will help you join polarized groups and convert a vicious cycle into a benefit for all. The results will benefit both groups and the larger system of which they are a part.
About Barry Johnson (Grand Rapids, Michigan Author)
In 1975, Barry created the first Polarity Map® and set of principles.
Barry has worked with: Business and Industry – Amoco, GM, Intel of Ireland, Cargill, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Natura of Brazil, SASOL of South Africa; Government – International Atomic Energy Agency, US Department of Defense, UK National Health Service, Provincial Government of Alberta, Northwest Department of Health and National Treasury Republic of South Africa, Charleston Police Department and City of Charleston. Education – Notre Dame, Learning Innovations Lab (LILA) at Harvard, University of Cape Town in South Africa; Not-for-profit – Bread for the World, EcoSocial in Brazil, Southridge Shelter in Ontario.
He is an avid outdoorsman and intrepid traveler, and brings head and heart together in his teaching and consulting. Barry and his wife, Dana, have 5 children and 11 grandchildren.
His third book, AND, Making a Difference by Leveraging Polarity, Paradox, or Dilemma will be out in July, 2020.