By: Jennifer Quarrie
Are you a powerhouse at Creative Problem Solving? Always at the ready
to save the day? It’s an amazing feeling to implement a solution after a lot of
hard work. But what about those
other challenges lurking in the shadows?
You know the ones…
:::Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to face the Unsolvables:::
Its tough to admit, but some problems don’t
have solutions. Luckily there are
tools that can help manage challenges and improve circumstances.
Polarity Thinking
Polarity
thinking is just such a tool. It works to balance pairs of needs that depend on
each other to achieve a positive result (inhaling and exhaling, for
example). When faced with a
situation where you need two polarities in your life, yet are seeking to avoid
both of their downsides, polarity thinking can help diminish the amount of time
you spend in each negative pole.
The trick is recognizing that you’ve
moved into the negative and directing energy towards moving out of it quickly
to the opposite, positive pole.
Combine &
Synthesize
In complex problem solving, using only one approach or tool
often won’t cut it. E.
Paul Torrance said it best as part of his Torrance Incubation Model: combine
and synthesize. Leveraging
multiple approaches to include Creative Problem Solving and Polarity Thinking
when addressing complex challenges results in a more holistic approach to confronting
problems. The fact that such a
combination is feasible is a testament to the flexibility of these tools. It also highlights that, when combined,
the tools are more than the sum of their parts.
:::You may choose any two “team members” but for Unsolvable challenges, one must be polarity thinking:::
Reframing Success
It is easy to assume that solving a problem equates to
simply identifying a solution, implementing it and checking it off the
list.
:::These assumptions will self-destruct in five seconds:::
In reality, solutions are impermanent because circumstances
are always changing. While solving
a problem may work in the short term, learning how to manage ongoing polarities
is a skill that enables a lifetime of progress. Moving between poles while learning and iterating builds a
useful portfolio of experience and knowledge (which can come in handy during
problem solving). At the end of
the day, the ultimate goal of problem solving often centers on improving
quality of life, which polarity thinking facilitates in a continuous
cycle. Glad you have a new partner
in crime, Polarity Thinking, with whom to face the Unsolvables?
:::Mission accomplished:::
References
Cruise,
T. & Wagner, P. (Producers), & De Palma, B. (Director). (May 22, 1996).
Mission: Impossible. [Motion picture]. United States of America: Paramount
Pictures.
Johnson,
B. (1992). Polarity management: Identifying and managing unsolvable problems. Amherst, MA: HRD Press.
Johnson,
B. (2014). Reflections – a perspective on paradox and
its application to modern management. Polarity Partnerships. Retrieved
from
http://www.polaritypartnerships.com/downloads-free/59-Reflections-%20A%20Perspective%20on%20Paradox%20and%20Its%20Application%20to%20Modern%20Management.pdf
Puccio,
G., Mance, M., Switalski, L.B., & Reali, P. D. (2012). Creativity
rising: Creative thinking and creative problem solving in the 21st century. Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press.
Torrance,
E. P. (1979). An instructional model for enhancing incubation. Journal of
Creative Behavior, 13(1), pp. 23-35.
Torrance
& Safter, H. T. (1990). The incubation model of learning and teaching:
Getting beyond aha. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.
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