Do you want to elevate your sensemaking of what is happening in and around you?
Do you want to dance with others more elegantly, especially with those who see things differently from you?
Do you want to understand how you can make organizations and societies healthier and more impactful?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then let Douglas introduce you to the exciting world of polarities, where two things that seem like opposites of each other are actually interdependent pairs. You will learn how to better see and leverage them, which will enhance the quality of your life, your interactions with others, and your work in and with organizations and communities.
“We live in an interdependent universe filled with interdependent pairs (Polarities) so it is no surprise that Douglas O’Loughlin sees them everywhere. He has taken the time to look.
In this book, Douglas provides a friendly way to explore what interests you among 50 polarities at every level of system, from intra-personal to international. I encourage you to enjoy the trip through this book so that you can also appreciate the usefulness and power of seeing and leveraging polarities.”
—Barry Johnson, Founder of the Polarity Map® and Principles
Dr Douglas O’Loughlinis the Principal of The Dao of Thriving and an Associate Consultant with the Civil Service College (CSC) and Harthill Consulting. Douglas believes that organizations and communities can flourish and contribute to the growth and development of individuals, and believes that polarity thinking can help make this happen.
Originally from New York, he first visited Asia when he was with AT&T, and ended up living in Singapore in 1993 after a series of serendipitous events. He has worked as a Senior Principal Consultant in the Singapore Public Service and has worked across all sectors and in more than 20 countries. His passion is enhancing peopleʼs lives and the systems we live and work in, particularly the public service, healthcare, and social sector.
Douglas has facilitated Polarity Thinking workshops for all types of groups, has done a TEDx talk on polarities (you can search on ted.com), and is a certified practitioner from Polarity Partnerships. He has seen how understanding polarity thinking has created shifts for individuals and organizations, like managing stability AND change, being firm AND kind, practicing candor AND diplomacy, advocating data sharing AND data privacy.
His PhD research was on how the frameworks and tools of Adult Development Psychology, specifically Action/Leadership Logics and Action Inquiry, can impact Personal and Organization Development.
He wrote Facilitating Transformation: 12 Strategies for Creating Breakthroughs with Groups as a way to share the wisdom he has gained from working as a consultant/facilitator over the years. He recently created a “Quotes for Expansive Living” calendar.
Douglas is married with Christy, and they do their best to manage the polarities in their relationship. Thanks to her for coming up with the name of the book, ANDlightenment.
