Identifying your polarities

 (and their impact on you)

By Declan Noone

As we face into 2019, we take stock of what has come to pass in 2018 and orientate our view towards what we want to achieve as a leader, as a team and as an organisation.

However, in looking back we have a tendency to be heavily influenced by our cognitive biases, not least of which is the ‘self-serving’ bias. This where we tend to take credit for successes but place the blame for failures on others or outside causes. Additional biases such as the confirmation bias, over confidence bias and the optimism bias all play a role in colouring our assessment of how we performed, how successful we are and how we are seen by others.

If we are to take a positive step forward in 2019, we must make a realistic assessment of what has past and where we now are and in turn identify the positive actions required to move forward. Consequently, identifying our polarities is an important step in this process.

Polarity in this context, is ‘how diametrically opposed are our perceptions versus our reality?’

Here as some examples:

Personal Perspective

I am happy at work (perception) vs the reality: am I engaged in my work, am I challenged, do I see a future, do I complain a lot.

Leadership perspective

I am an inclusive and positive leader (perception) vs the reality: how diverse is my team, how much autonomy do I give my team members, how often have team members being given a voice in the decision-making process, what is the absentee rate?

Team Perspective

We are a successful and high performing team (perception) vs the reality: did we exceed our targets, what are our engagement levels, what retention issues did we have, did we innovate during the last year, how do others outside the team regard us, what was our added value?

Organisational Perspective

We have a positive and generative work culture (perception) vs the reality: what are our attrition rates, what are our employee engagement rates, how valued is our employer brand in the market place, how long to people stay with us, how was our productivity, and what was our rate of absenteeism?

What was is the impact of these polarities? Well if we fail to challenge or question our perceptions, we have a greater tendency to repeat our mistakes, to build our next step on a false foundation, and continue using destructive workplace behaviours. The cycle continues, unchanged and unchallenged. Then when a new situation or challenge arises, which it inevitably will in a VUCA world, we are taken by surprise and ill prepared to succeed.

Assessing Polarities:

1. List your assumptions(perception): use some of the examples provided above as a reference.
2. Create a data and people plan: identify where you can get specific data relating to this area and the people you intend to talk to about this assumption in order to confirm or refute your perception. Understand what information you need, and how you intend to collect it. Multiple sources are necessary on both counts.
3. Collect the data.
4. Analyse the data: what does it tell you? Does it confirm your assumption turning your perception into a reality, or does it identify a polarity?
5. Assess the impact of this polarity: how has the difference between your perception and reality impacted growth, productivity and wellbeing as they relate to you, the team and/or the organisation?
6. Identify the Cause: this may require a number of honest and frank conversations, as well a period of some self-reflection. Revisit some of the interviews you conducted in Step 3 and ask the hard questions relating to: personal performance; leadership behaviours; work culture; work practices; work processes; etc.
7. Build an Action Plan: Establish a clear series of positive actions required to address the causes including how progression will be measured. This content will inevitably vary depending on where you are approaching this from a personal, team or organisation stand point. Ensure that responsibility for each action is assigned, time and resources considered, and desired outcomes are contained in your plan.
8. Go do it!!!

Identifying your polarities and understanding why the exist is an incredible enabler of change. It can help you understand so of the outcomes from previous events in your life/business and place them in context. It takes courage, focus and positive intent to reap the true benefits.

Now is the time to grasp the opportunity and prepare yourself, your team and/or organisation