The Illumination Project: Further Strengthening Relationships Between Police and Citizens

Greg Mullen, Chief of Police, Charleston, South Carolina, Police Department; Robert “Jake” Jacobs, Consultant, Real Time Strategic Change; Margaret Seidler, Consultant and Master Trainer, Seidler & Associates LLC; and Greg Whitaker, Captain (Ret.), Charleston, South Carolina, Police Department

THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE MAGAZINE

On June 17, 2015, at approximately 8:06 p.m., a young, white male who aimed to start a race war entered the historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, and joined with church members in a Bible study. For the next hour, he would discuss Bible verses and interact with the 12 parishioners who were also present.

An hour later, at approximately 9:06 p.m., he retrieved a Glock .45 caliber pistol from a fanny pack and systematically began killing those who were in attendance. At the end of his rampage, nine individuals had been killed, leaving only five survivors. Of the three surviving parishioners, one had been purposefully left alive by the shooter to tell the story; two others, a mother and granddaughter, lay in the carnage pretending to be dead as they watched their family members and fellow church members die. The other two survivors, the pastor’s wife and young daughter, hid in a back office unknown to the shooter.1

For a complete PDF version of this article click here

“Both / And” and “Either / Or” Choices: Know When to Use Each Approach to Succeed

– Robert “Jake” Jacobs and Cliff Kayser

You’ve got a tough choice. The performance feedback is in and the message is clear: you’ve been micro-managing your people. They complain about feeling suffocated and work slowing down because of the systems and processes you’ve put in place to ensure consistent, quality work. It’s the one blemish on your otherwise positive annual review. You’re told it’s the only thing standing between you and your much-coveted promotion to area manager. But this is one of your biggest strengths. You’ve always been proud to say, “Predictable processes lead to predictable results.” You’re told however that too much of a good thing has the same result as too little of it: ineffective leadership. You need to become more flexible.

For a pdf copy of this complete article click here

 

Whole Systems Transformation Through a Polarity Lens: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Robert “Jake”Jacobs, Lynnea Brinkerhoff and Barry Johnson

Increased rates of change are driving the need to respond to ever-more complex problems.  More and more situations are emerging where factions take different positions seemingly at odds with one another.  Nowhere is this more present than in the work of Whole System Transformation.  This chapter describes an approach that can enhance all transformation work.  Regardless of the method you have chosen to use in your transformation effort, a “polarity thinking” approach will help.

To read the entire pdf copy of this article click here

 

Leveraging Polarities – For Ourselves, Organizations, Countries, and the Planet

Barry Johnson
Polarities are energy pairs we can leverage in order to achieve our preferred future faster with greater sustainability. We live in them and they live in us. We live in organizational polarities. They often show up as tough decisions or tensions: Should we centralize for system integration or decentralize to support entrepreneurial initiative? Should we preserve our core traditions or go after innovation? Also, leadership polarities live within us: Should we be clear or flexible? Should we be grounded or visionary

To download a complete version of this article in pdf format click here

Is Your Organization’s Energy Working For Or Against You?

Robert “Jake” Jacobs

Imagine your organization has a unique opportunity. If you move fast, you can enter a new market before your competitors even knows it exists. You’re in a meeting exploring this challenge when a question is raised: “Should we focus more on centralizing or decentralizing to gain a foothold in this new market?”

The “Either / Or” Lens: Seeing Only Part of the Picture

Looking through an “Either / Or” lens, people in the meeting quickly join one of two camps. One group of people in the meeting believes it’s best to centralize operations. Do it well and you can standardize processes, deliver consistent quality in products and services, and share best practices across the organization. What are they worried about? Decentralize things too much and you’re on a slippery slope to inefficient processes, inconsistent quality products and services, and local leaders more committed to their own success than the success of the overall organization. These people are clear, committed and their energy is focused on one thing: the organization’s greater good. But another group in the room sees things differently.

For a complete PDF version of this article click here

Partnerships Built on Differences and Commonalities

Barry Johnson and Chandra Irvin Copyright © Polarity Management Associates and Irvin, Goforth & Irvin, February, 2000

Pat: “We need to gear up to meet our diverse clients’ needs.”

Chris: “Yes, but as long as we provide high quality common services to all clients, everyone will benefit.”

Pat: “But common services don’t respond to diverse needs and those communities and families who have those needs.”

Chris: “But we don’t have the time or money to develop particular services for every niche group. Basic services for everyone would be reduced.”

Organizations often have members with different points of view and different cultural perspectives. These different perspectives frequently evolve into difficult diversity issues that lead to chronic tension, power struggles, undermined relationships, frustration, feelings of inadequacy, and self-righteous indignation. At the heart of this dysfunction among caring, intelligent people is the inability to distinguish between a polarity (i.e., paradox, dilemma) which must be managed and a problem that can be solved. This article will help you distinguish between a polarity and a problem and give you some tips about how to manage a polarity when you find one.

To read the complete PDF version of this article click here

Practitioner Perspective on Paradox: A Case Study Using the Polarity Approach in Charleston, South Carolina

Barry Johnson, Margaret Seidler, Cliff Kayser

“Polarity Thinking has changed the way senior leaders, police officers, and citizens approach important issues and concerns. It has provided a framework to honor differences while creating synergy toward a common purpose. The results – a deeper and richer understanding of complex issues that inform decisions at the individual, organizational and community levels, creating new potential, leading to breakthrough outcomes.” Greg Mullen, Chief of Police, Charleston, South Carolina

For a complete PDF version of this article click here

Applying Polarity Thinking to Complex Societal Issues

– Chief Greg Mullen,Margaret Seidler,Jake Jacobs, and Chandra Irvin

We are at a pivotal moment in our country as it relates to police trust and legitimacy. To do nothing is not an option; to engage in a journey that has been challenging, risky, and has the potential to inform generations to come has been our responsibility and honor. — Police Chief Greg Mullen, City of Charleston, SC We experience the tension and conflict existing in complex systems all around us—companies, governments, families, and communities. In this case study, we explore the application of Polarity Thinking to a community tension in Charleston, South Carolina—a tension that is sadly present in most cities and towns across America. We italicize the many polarities we leveraged throughout this work.

To download this article in pdf please click