Polarity Management involves managing tensions between two interdependent poles rather than solving them, using a Polarity Map to visualize their upsides, downsides, and action steps.
Not every tension is a problem to solve. Some are polarities to manage.
Two poles that need each other. Both sides map their upsides AND downsides honestly. The result is a Polarity Map with virtuous cycles, vicious cycles, warning signs, and action steps. Nobody wins. That’s the point.
- Reframes “either/or” tensions as “both/and” polarities
- Each pole is examined honestly — including its downsides
- Maps warning signs that tell you when you’re over-focusing on one side
When to Use
When you’re stuck in an either/or debate that never resolves — because it can’t. Centralization vs. decentralization. Speed vs. quality. Innovation vs. stability. If both sides have legitimate value and you can’t eliminate either, it’s a polarity to manage, not a problem to solve.
How It Works
Two Pole Advocates each represent one side of the tension:
- Pole A Advocate: Maps the full picture of their pole — the upsides of focusing on it AND the downsides of over-focusing
- Pole B Advocate: Does the same for the other pole — honestly including when too much of a good thing becomes harmful
The Facilitator then synthesizes both perspectives into a Polarity Map: virtuous cycles (how the poles support each other), vicious cycles (how over-focus on either creates problems), warning signs (early indicators of imbalance), and action steps (how to navigate the tension).
What You Get
A Polarity Map showing how both poles interact, plus concrete early warning signs and action steps for managing the tension. You won’t get a winner — you’ll get wisdom about how to navigate the ongoing dance between the two poles.
Related Methods
- Adversarial Debate — when the tension IS resolvable and you need a verdict
- Six Thinking Hats — when you need multiple perspectives beyond two poles
- W³ — What? So What? Now What? — when you want to reflect on how the polarity has been playing out
/libertee:polarity "Autonomy vs. Alignment"