Problems are distinguished by the fact that they have solutions. A hole in the wall. A leaky funnel. Something to fix.
The weather is a situation. So is traffic.
And situations, unlike problems, have no solution.
Smart sailors don’t try to solve the wind. They learn it, read it and work with it. And the sailors who we didn’t hear back from ignored it.
Oftentimes, naming what we can’t change is the first step of getting unstuck.
Should your organization be disciplined or creative? Stable or nimble? Existing customers or new ones?
Self-care or community? Freedom or structure? Play or work?
The trap is thinking that we need to pick a side. But perhaps we can have both. The upside without the downside.
The interesting question is How can we dance with the tension? Can we learn to see the relationship? When have we leaned too far? And when to shift?
What if the most valuable solution is knowing what not to solve, but to manage?
A good article to get started on polarity management.
(Thank you, Debbie.)
