I started my career as an Aerospace Engineer at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of the Indian Space Research Organization. Engineering is essentially about problem solving. Yes, it also involves creativity, optimizing within constraints and making design trade-offs. However, the core reality remains that the problems in engineering are meant to be solved. After I made the ‘quantum jump’ from engineering to management, I started becoming more aware of another type of ‘problems’ – problems that cannot be, and even should not be, ‘solved’ in the engineering sense.
Slowly, it occurred to me that these kinds of problems are probably the norm, as opposed to being exceptions, when it comes to life in business organizations, especially in matters related to people and people management.
A paradox is a situation with an inherent contradiction. A paradox occurs when there are multiple points of view on an issue, each of which are true and essential, but they appear to be in conflict with one another. This implies that that we cannot resolve a paradox in the way we solve a typical problem. We cannot choose one of the options over the others without oversimplifying the situation.
What is possible is to struggle with the paradoxical situation for a
sufficient period of time so that we can reach a higher level of awareness and
deeper understanding of the context and the issue, that will enable us to come
up with the most effective response at a given moment. These responses are not
necessarily solutions in the normal sense of the word ‘solution’. Sometimes,
these are effective ways of coping with the situation. Sometimes, these
responses involve totally reframing the situation and opening up radically new
possibilities.
Here, we are using the term paradox and paradoxical thinking in a broad manner. Therefore, it will also involve dilemmas, polarities and dialectic, though strictly speaking, they are not necessarily paradoxes. A dilemma occurs when one has to make a choice between two mutually exclusive options, neither of which is clearly better than the other one. If these options are polar opposites, then we have a polarity.
A dialectic is a pattern that begins with a thesis followed by
an antithesis and resolved by a higher synthesis. This synthesis can be
followed by another antithesis and the pattern can repeat, though at a higher
level, as one point of view teaches the other point of view instead of
invalidating it! Another term that is
relevant here irony. Irony occurs when what actually happens turns
out to be completely different from what was expected. In a way, irony is the
paradox of consequences.
This book is the outcome of my struggle with these paradoxes, contradictions, dilemmas and possibilities over the last two decades. While this struggle can indeed be very frustrating, it also holds the key to achieve a higher level of awareness and more nuanced understanding that can open a wide range of possibilities for us – possibilities for responding creatively and effectively to the paradoxical situations that we face at work and in life.
This book is an expedition through the paradoxes, dilemmas, polarities and
possibilities in the various aspects of organizational life. Our focus will be
on ‘real world paradoxes’ that impact our effectiveness in business
organizations, as opposed to ‘logical paradoxes’ that are more like logical
riddles. The book is organized in a manner that anyone who works
in business organizations should find it interesting. If you are a people
manager or business leader or if you work in the Human Resources domain you
will find many additional insights. I do not promise any algorithmic solutions
or to do lists. However, I do promise a lot of triggers for insights!
The book is available on Amazon India, Amazon UK and Amazon US in both paperback and Kindle versions. It is also available in other eBook formats like Kobo and Google Books.
Would love to to hear your comments/ideas!!!
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