Polarity Management

Examples & Template

To accompany podcast episode 174: How to Deal with Mixed Emotions (Ambition In-Between series)

Polarity Management and the polarity map was created by Barry Johnson, the Chairman of Polarity Partnerships. He created the first polarity map back in 1975! It’s a powerful tool to explore a situation where there are two right answers that are interdependent. You benefit from operating with both. It’s not about choosing either/or, but embracing the AND.

Polarity examples include:

  • Inhaling AND Exhaling

  • Individual AND Team

  • Cost AND Quality

  • Competing AND Collaborating

  • Work AND Life

I’ve stretched this model to explore mixed emotions—times when we can benefit from realizing mixed emotions are normal and can benefit from differentiating and validating the coexisting states rather than viewing them as contradictory or confusing.

You can find examples and a template to explore and follow what I share in the podcast in this Google sheet here (make a copy) and as a PDF here.