BUSINESS
thing to be careful of is that paradox, by its very
Have you ever been caught between a
nature, tends to limit options. A virtuous circle
may be a positive merry-go-round but it is only rock and hard place?
truly helpful if we have the freedom to get off.
The ecology (i.e. the thing to remember) here is down as above, placing each side in a circle “What would I gain from this option?”
that a paradox can be positive but it must have some distance apart. Now draw a solid line By answering the question for both sides,
an exit route, otherwise it becomes another trap from one to the other. you are capturing the full set of positive
of limitations. intentions. By intermingling the answers, you
Stay
Change
Where
are leading to a synthesis. What alternatives
Moving through paradox
Career
I Am does this give you? What other options are
The first step in resolving a paradox is to available to you now? What third solution
understand it. Most paradoxes start with What does this immediately give you? What might meet the positive intentions?
the polarity of an either/or; for example, to connections does this make? What other If necessary, score each of the positive
change career or to stay where I am. If you are options are available to you now? How might it intentions on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is
unsure what the two opposing sides of your be for you that the two sides are interconnected less important and 5 is most important.
own polarities are, ask yourself: “What is this and part of a greater whole? Then look at your 4s and 5s to generate
a tension between and how are those things a third way.
different?” Phased change? Stay And what about our original example,
Change
If you hear someone say: “It’s the gym or
Where
Career
how might I stay where I am and change my
Part time? I Am
the sofa”, the word ‘or’ is the split point. If career? Might there be other opportunities in
they say: “I ought to go to the gym but the sofa the same company I work for?
looks appealing”, the word ‘but’ indicates the What of the ‘change career/stay where I am’ The important thing to remember is that
two sides of the paradox. People will often use continuum? What ideas does this stimulate? these ‘paradox management’ techniques
a different voice tonality and body language Could it be a phased change, using the job I’m are designed to stimulate more options,
when talking about the two sides. doing now to get training for my new career? rather than solve the problem for you. They
Without identifying the two sides and Could I stay where I am part time while are the ‘strike pad’ for your match… to
resolving the paradox as a whole, we will tend establishing my new career? ignite innovation.
to try and solve one side or the other. The If a problem won’t go away, it is likely
problem with paradox is that when we try and 2) The Synthesis. to have a paradox underlying it. By
resolve it this way, it will loop and flip and split Another way of shifting beyond ‘either/or’ is understanding the nature of social
and bring us back to where we started. to use ‘both/and’. The idea of the Synthesis paradox and methods of resolving it, we
The second step in resolving paradox is approach is where we take a ‘thesis’ and its can clean up some of the most stubborn
deciding what to do with it. Some paradoxes ‘antithesis’ (opposite) and transcend both to of issues.
can be resolved by making a decision. For create a third way. Where the Continuum is
example, faced with two job opportunities one dimensional, the Synthesis creates a second
you might choose one over the other because dimension, allowing for even more possibilities.
The Author
although it pays a little less, it is more local.
Joe Cheal has been working with NLP since
However, other paradoxes may prove less easy
1993. As well as being a licensed trainer
to resolve by decision making and it may be Stay
Change
that there is another solution that you hadn’t
Where
of NLP, he holds an MSc in Organisational
Career
(CONTINUUM) I Am
Development and Neuro-linguistic
yet considered.
Technologies, a degree in Philosophy and
Using the dilemma of ‘change career or
Psychology, and diplomas in Coaching and
stay where I am’, here are two techniques that There are many ways of creating the in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy
might help you in exploring and resolving your Synthesis and in NLP of course, we have the and NLP.
own paradoxes. visual squash (a technique for creating a third
Joe is currently writing a book about paradox
option that meets the positive intentions of
management called “Solving Impossible
1)The Continuum both sides). An alternative is to get a blank
Problems” and the key findings of his
When someone gets themselves caught in piece of paper and answer the following MSc dissertation have been published in
‘either/or’ they tend to see themselves limited question for each side of the dilemma, writing the journal: Current Research in NLP: vol
to two options: the answers randomly around on the paper:
1 - Proceedings of 2008 Conference. Other
research and articles on paradox and NLP can
Stay
Change
be found at www.gwiztraining.com.
Where
Variety
Re-invigoration
Career
I Am
Independence
Teamworking
Joe is a partner in the GWiz Learning
Partnership, working as a Management
By using the idea of the Continuum we Friendships
Security & Organisational Development Specialist,
allow for a range of possibilities in between
Good Atmosphere
focusing over 16 years training, coaching
the ‘either/or’, by changing it to ‘from/to’.
and consultancy experience into the business
Creative Problem Solving
This means rather than seeing the problem in
environment. To contact him, email:
joe@gwiztraining.com.
terms of ‘black or white’ we can explore the
New Challenges Easy Journey
grey areas in between. Write your own paradox
rapport - Winter 2009/10
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