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Archives for December 2021

Case Study: Applying Polarity Principles for a Healthcare IT Start-UP

December 9, 2021 by Petra Platzer Leave a Comment

Petra Platzer, PhD, NBC-HWC, PCC; Cliff Kayser MSHR, MSOD, PCC; Dave Levin MD

Background

The complexity, fragmentation, and highly regulated aspects of the U.S. healthcare system results in making the industry resistant to change. Despite the resistance, healthcare has undergone significant change in reimbursement models, consumerism, and information technologies (IT). A small, IT healthcare start-up challenged itself to embrace the reality within the tension between Stability (current status) and Change (future status) versus resisting that change. To support this IT start-up in this intentional process, “NewCo” partnered with SixSEED Partners (SSP) in using the Polarity Approach for Continuity and Transformation (PACT™).

The Strategy:

The first step for NewCo was to establish the NewCo Culture Team (NCT), which was a highly diverse microcosm that had executive sponsorship. The NCT met regularly to guide culture development and determined they would assess the current state of NewCo by conducting an employee “SWOT” survey to analyze Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

The Solution: 

Guided by SixSEED, the NCT learned how the Polarity Map™ could supplement and enhance their original SWOT result analyses. While a standard SWOT implicitly focuses on important dimensions of stability and change, what it misses analyzing are the interdependent connections between those SWOT dimensions. As the NCT and NewCo began to more broadly understand how this and other interdependencies work, they began to see polarity tensions that were a part of discussion or debate in their day-to-day workflow. 

One example of this occurred when a group was meeting to discuss a customer’s “overly excessive” technical support needs. Concerns mostly focused on what the customer was “doing wrong” until a staff member suggested that this might be a polarity: Customer Needs And NewCo Needs. The dynamic of the conversation quickly shifted as members mapped the dynamic. Capturing the wisdom in the Polarity Map™ allowed the group to see a more complete picture of the ongoing tension and enabled them to develop a more productive solution strategy for NewCo and the Customer.

Another example related to NewCo’s merger with a similar size and stage company. Emotionally-laden struggles existed as the company wrestled with whether work could be done remotely or required people to be in a central office as the merged companies had different practices.  Initial discussions were framed as either/or which was causing undue stress and conflict.  A NewCo executive team member was able to lead the new team through a polarity mapping exercise to identify the benefits of Office-based and Remote work, as well as the limitations of each, without the other.

The Impact:

Polarity principles were successfully applied in a small, highly dynamic healthcare IT start-up environment that intentionally focused on building culture. Leveraging polarities played a key role in NewCo’s successful growth, from a few co-founders with an idea to a company with 45 employees, while weathering many storms – including successfully merging with another company.

Filed Under: Case Study

SixSEED Holiday Giving – Sloan Kettering Institute

December 8, 2021 by Cliff Kayser Leave a Comment

This holiday season, we celebrate “SixSEED Holiday Giving”, where each team member donates to an organization that is meaningful.

Cliff Kayser, MS, PCC: CSO

CLIFF KAYSER CONTRIBUTES TO SLOAN KETTERING INSTITUTE (SKI) For Cliff Kayser, he will contribute to Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI). Cliff explains why this is organization is important to him: “We all know someone challenged by a cancer diagnosis. One of my heroes, my sister Lori, has been living with a currently incurable cancer. The longer she follows the current protocols and takes good care of herself, her chances improve. Her hard work combined with scientific discoveries from experimental research is why I’m donating to the research arm of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “SKI” – the Sloan Kettering Institute. SKI was formed 70-years ago to fuel progress in cancer treatment by supporting scientific advances in the understanding of biology and medicine (such as: cancer-related genes, unraveled signaling pathways that control cell growth and division, and identified the cell types involved in mounting and repressing immune responses). SKI research has also been a driver of clinical advances in cancer treatment, from chemotherapy to targeted therapy to immunotherapy. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the amazing Leadership Training and Organization Development team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and several team members became fully certified in PACT (Polarity Approach for Continuity and Transformation). It’s great knowing my colleagues are doing such great work to develop leaders there to accomplish their vision to harness the latest research techniques to conquer cancer. 

ABOUT SLOAN KETTERING INSTITUTE (SKI):

In 1945, philanthropist Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., and engineer Charles F. Kettering founded the Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI) on New York City’s Upper East Side, with the vision of harnessing the latest research techniques in order to conquer cancer. This goal endures today. As the experimental research arm of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, SKI is focused on the pursuit of fundamental scientific discoveries. The institute’s philosophy is that the best way to fuel progress in cancer treatment is to support scientists as they explore the unknown.

SKI is distinguished by its:

  • world-renowned faculty
  • cutting-edge technological resources
  • relatively small size and open academic community
  • extensive collaboration between scientists and clinicians

SKI exists as a distinct entity within the larger community of scholars, clinicians, and researchers that make up MSK. SKI hosts more than 100 laboratory investigators, 400 postdoctoral research fellows (including clinical fellows), and 300 PhD and MD/PhD graduate students. The institute enjoys a close relationship with neighbors Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University.

Over the course of its 70-year history, SKI has produced many advances in our understanding of biology and medicine. SKI scientists have discovered cancer-related genes, unraveled signaling pathways that control cell growth and division, and identified the cell types involved in mounting and repressing immune responses. SKI research has also been a driver of clinical advances in cancer treatment, from chemotherapy to targeted therapy to immunotherapy.

SKI scientists are leaders in their fields. Many are members of the National Academies of Science and Medicine. Many are Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. They are the recipients of numerous awards and honors.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Become a More Humane Leader

December 5, 2021 by Joy Goldman Leave a Comment


In the HBR article: “Becoming a More Humane Leader,” Hougaard and Carter cite an 86% increase in job satisfaction for those who work for a wise and compassionate leader.

“If you start to think about what our role is as leaders, it’s actually quite simple,” Chris Toth, CEO of the medical device company Varian, told us. “Our role is not to be the ones who make the decision or to be the smartest person in the room. In fact, it can be exceptionally dangerous if the decision-making always goes to the leader. Instead, you must create a culture of compassion and empowerment that is accepting of diverse perspectives. This unlocks people’s creativity, productivity, and happiness.”

Click the source to learn what you can do to be that wise and compassionate leader: there is no time to waste!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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