Paradoxes are the ultimate intellectual challenge, as two opposites seem to be true at the same time: they challenge to creatively resolve the paradoxical situation. A paradox presents people with a difficult task of wrestling with a problem without ever arriving at a definitive solution. At best, we can find a workable reconciliation to temporarily cope with the unsolvable paradox. Paradoxes can be found between different perceptions of reality and what is ‘right’: balancing risk taking with avoiding mistakes; balancing flexibility with control; balancing planning and action; balancing cohesion with conflict, etcetera. We should not aim to choose between the two polarities; we need them both, and they need to be balanced to be effective. This is exactly how individuals, teams and organisations can approach their differences.
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Read more in:
Polarity Management Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems by Barry Johnson |
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Read more in:
Strategy Process, Content, Context An International Perspective by Bob de Wit and Ron Meyer |