Also Consider AND Volume 2, by Polarity Partnerships and Barry Johnson, ISBN: 978-1-61014-459-9
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.
Praise for AND
“Polarity Thinking has revolutionized how we approach tough problems in our work. In today’s complex world of politics and advocacy, identifying ways to better leverage key polarities has exponentially increased our impact.”
Lanae EricksonSenior Vice President for Social Policy & Politics :: Third Way
“The fight for equity, inclusion, social justice and humanity is not an ‘or’ argument. It is a ‘must’ argument which can only be achieved when advocates and allies augment either/Or-thinking with both/And-thinking.”
Eddie Moore, Jr., PhD; Founder/Program Director, The White Privilege Conference
“Polarity Thinking is one of the essential disciplines underlying our vital and never-ending search for win-win solutions to our many challenges and dilemmas. Barry Johnson has given us an invaluable gift in creating – and now deepening – this powerful tool. Along with systems thinking, Polarity Thinking is an essential skill that should be part of the education of every human being on the planet, especially anyone charged with leadership responsibilities.”
Raj Sisodia; FW Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business, Babson College; Co-founder & Co-Chairman, Conscious Capitalism Inc.
“ I am no longer perplexed by the chronic conflict and polarization I see in organizations and in the world. I can access the energy flow between two wants and hold the whole. That is how I make a difference in my circle of influence, and I am confident others will benefit as much as I have.”
Shareefah Sabur, MA, MNO, CDP, GPCC, BCC; Executive Director, Gestalt Institute of Cleveland
“Polarity Thinking is the most elegant approach to dealing with the critical issues that we wrestle with in institutions, organizations, and groups the world over. Barry’s vision has energized and innovated my own work. Polarity Thinking has made such a difference in the work I do with leaders at all levels and the design of programs and interventions with those leaders and their organizations.”
David Magellan Horth
Director of Innovation Venturing and Partnerships / Senior Fellow, Center for Creative Leadership
Barry was raised in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire in 1965. That same year he wrote an unpublished book called All from his awareness that all are saved, a very elementary glimpse into Richard Rohr's comprehensive Universal Christ. Barry enrolled at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and began a one-year Secular Internship Program in East Harlem where he lived for five years. While there, he witnessed some of the impact of his dominant, white culture on those marginalized by that dominant culture. It's dehumanizing for both cultures. There was and is plenty of injustice to protest and he found himself doing a lot of it. By 1970 Barry realized he wanted to understand how to develop organizations, communities, and nations that functioned well for all, rather than just protest when they became oppressive for many. Protest is important and Barry continues to do it. And, there is a need for prevention and development. Barry decided to start with his own development and work up to larger systems. In 1975, while in the final weeks of a two-year program with the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, he had a breakthrough session with a client. In an effort to get unstuck when encountering resistance, they walked around two chairs and discovered a predictable flow to the energy in the system. The first polarity map emerged. This powerful session impacted both the client and Barry. It was clear to Barry that the polarity map and principles were applicable to any system regardless of size. Since then he has been learning with people all over the world from a variety of disciplines, how to apply the Polarity Map(R) and principles to their situations. In 1992 Barry wrote his first book on polarities, Polarity Management, Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems. In 1994 he founded Polarity Management Associates. In 1995 he began developing the current online Polarity Assessment(TM) tool. The first Two-year Mastery Program in Polarity Thinking began in 2005. In 2009 he coauthored a second book with Roy Oswald, Managing Polarities in Congregations. In 2011 Barry joined Leslie DePol and Robert 'Jake' Jacobs to found Polarity Partnerships, LLC. The culmination of his work is a community of polarity practitioners authoring several polarity-related books. The two volumes of And represent what Barry and his colleagues have learned about And-thinking since his first book in 1992. In 2015 Barry received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organization Development Network, Advancing the Practice and Theory of OD. Barry continues to learn with clients and colleagues how And-thinking can be useful for enhancing our quality of life with our families, organizations, communities, countries, and on our planet. All from '65 has led to And in '20. Barry and his wife Dana have five children and eleven grandchildren. They both love kayaking and walking together anywhere. Making a difference And enjoying life.
