There is a need to balance and blend the corporate opposites that leaders are frequently faced with. Opposites such as:
 

• short term versus long term
• strategy or tactics
• revenue and cost
• emotion versus logic
• innovation versus more of the same
• outsourcing or in-house
• risk versus security
• demanding versus influencing
• work or home-life
• change and certainty need to be balanced.

Attending to only one brings no reconciliation of the potential conflicts inherent in the opposite choice. The juggling of a double-headed top or 'diablo' of leading a business. This double top invented in Ancient China, is made to spin by deploying two sticks and a piece of string. Whipping with one hand and bouncing with the other hand. By having the right amount of challenge and support, whip and bounce in a balanced way means that opposites can be juggled simply but effectively. This illustrates the blend of right and left working together in different but complementary ways, humming with vitality.

Explicitly, the talents of the feminine approach to organizational life, when blended with the masculine hardheaded methods of managing business, does actually deliver a more effective and productive solution. Reconciled together, these could unlock improved solutions for the complex fast-moving environments prevalent today. Male thinking does not have all the answers. A feminine revolution would also negate all that is logical and action orientated from the male perspective. This article supports neither male nor female but seeks to encourage the balance of both in equal measure.

The traditional representation of “vision to action to solution” sounds logical and is usually shown as a straight line or as an arrow, emphasising focus and drive, but this does not account for the people’s journey as the process pushes to deliver results. The process line in this ‘diabolo’ model is a blue line wave-like dynamic and flexible. In this picture the people aspects are represented by the green line. Both people and process are balanced and move in a synchronised fluid way to achieve results from the original vision.

All the talents of the right and left brain can be combined to achieve exceptional results. There is a journey to be navigated and by using all available resources the result can be achieved first time, on time, to budget. Consider the possible phases of activity that might ensure success. Having worked up the vision it is vital that the leadership team aligns behind that vision. Taking time to test the level of belief, agreement and understanding means they must establish the commitment to making it happen in the first phase. Otherwise the journey is going nowhere or it proceeds by brute force, only to stall as the political wrangling takes over. Launching something new demands quality time, interaction and negotiation to agree the strategic direction. This is the ‘belief’ stage of the journey.

Belief can be an intuitive process. The courage to make the vision happen can be fired by commitment to the common purpose. To progress the belief it may require validation and analysis in making the business case. Facts will be needed to convince doubting parties. There may be data to be gathered that will become the raw material for innovation. This is the ‘information’ phase.

Having collected all relevant data, information and research this can be used to innovate improved, creative solutions. These solutions may evolve from existing processes. This is also a time for brainstorming on the back of what is known or sensed or imagined, for thinking out of the box and for generating new ideas. Evaluation of the options in a systematic way can then refine and focus those ideas. This ‘creation’ phase is the final stage of the ‘exploration’ half of the journey. When handled well the exploration activity is a key to learning in the organization and this feeds competitive advantage.

While human beings are learning and growing the spirit is ignited and people feel valued and motivated. Taking the trouble to create a culture where ideas are welcome and risks are evaluated diligently is worthwhile and this results in motivation and challenge for team members.

Some organisations get stuck in endlessly exploring and innovating without ever producing very much in a given time frame. These corporate cultures value intellect and debate which limits action and actual delivery. The vision is rarely realized, drowned in a sea of words. Decisions drift and there is little closure or progression.

Anybody can generate ideas that feel right, but how should these get realised to create value? With the leadership belief in the vision they are striving for, all background information available and many creative concepts on the table, the decision to support the best ideas is simple. The ideas that get the “go ahead” are in tune with the organisational culture, they can be logically justified and emotionally feel right. This is where the corporate opposites diminish, form a tipping point and provide a strong platform to accelerate towards realising the value of the ideas. Crossing the moment of decision reveals the second half of the ‘diabolo’, ‘execution’. Essential to making anything happen in a complicated corporate environment is the discipline of the project or action ‘planning’. If the plan is created too early before all relevant information has been accessed, this leads to frustration in having to rework the plan as new pieces come to light. This wastes time and money. This is why effective exploration is a failsafe and assists best quality decision making.

As the plan emerges the engagement of all relevant parties who have not been included so far becomes important. ‘Communication’ of the plan and where it came from and what is expected of the wider group maintains clarity in the system. By dispelling rumours this way, maximum energy is available for delivering the desired solution. People in the organisation and also external customers can engage with the process and feel included and valued. The communication phase is one in which the leadership needs to reengage by injecting the necessary topup of enthusiasm for the launch of the solution. “If I don’t know what is expected of me how can I give it my best shot?”

> Part 3: Reconciliation - An Exceptional Journey