Balance and Progress. Right brain and Left brain. Creative and Analytical. Art and Science. Yin and Yang. How well do we really integrate the two? In ancient Chinese philosophy the concepts of Yin and Yang describe two opposing yet complementary forces which join together to create the whole. If there is an imbalance and one dominates the other, then illness occurs, whether that be in individuals, organisations or societies. Harmony is only achieved when the two forces combined are in balance.
This got me thinking of late about the extent to which we may be experiencing an overdominance of yang energy as individuals and in organisations. When I look back to the last decade of corporate life it’s clear to me how I’ve become more ‘robotic’, focusing on data, logic, productivity, achieving goals, hitting deadlines, delivering results — always busy and pretty much always exhausted. It’s only in recent months when I’ve intentionally practiced curiosity, allocating time and space for exploration, adventure and creativity, that I’ve really started to feel a greater sense of balance and ease.
And this makes sense to me in many ways. Even at the level of the brain- I’m no expert on this but it seems that I’ve inadvertently been spending more time in my central executive network (left brain) and perhaps in Beta brain wave state (focusing on logical, rational, narrow thinking) rather than the more expansive default mode network, or alpha and theta brainwave states where exploration and creativity happen. For me, it seems that suppression of yin energy could well have been at the root of my sense of imbalance. A need to always be busy, be ‘doing’ and achieving goals. A lack of time to explore freely, with no goal in mind, allowing space and time for spontaneity, serendipity and creativity.
But what if this suppression of yin is something we’re experiencing at a more macro level? In his book ‘The Yin Yang Complex’, Brendan Foley describes how yang energy has been wildly out of control for decades in the corporate world. The pursuit of growth and an insatiable appetite for profit at all costs has often come at the cost of the health and happiness of our employees and the planet. So what would it take for us to integrate more ‘yin’ into our working practices? Perhaps a greater sense of altruism and community spirit, a balancing of the importance of EQ alongside IQ. A caring, nurturing approach to progress — focusing on the things that really matter for the health happiness of our societies and the planet.
‘Balance and Progress are the two fundamental human needs at the heart of pretty much everything’, a good friend of mine and wonderfully astute qualitative research practitioner told me after decades of interviews with consumers across numerous industries. The need for action, to keep moving forward, making things happen, but an equally important desire for balance, wellbeing, health and a sense of equilibrium. This Yin Yang balance seemingly at play once again here and in many ways not dissimilar to the yogic principles of balancing Sthira (strength or effort) and Sukha (ease and joy). What would this look like in corporate life — to truly find a balance between effort and ease? How would we structure our time? Or our objectives for that matter? Where would we make the biggest shift?
The concept of polarity management feels most relevant to this yin-yang thinking in corporate life at the moment. A concept which suggests that to survive in our VUCA world, we need to recognise the truth in opposites and to embrace the polarities that exist in our world. Polarities could for example be ‘home and work’, ‘consistency and flexibility’, ‘fiscal strength and corporate- purpose’, ‘short term and long term’ and it’s only by addressing both aspects that we can really thrive. Barry Johnson of Polarity Partnerships works with organisations across the globe to help them recognise the polarities at play and embrace both elements in parallel rather than experience that familiar pendulum swing from one extreme to the other.
Could the complementary yet opposing forces of yin and yang be more relevant to us now in corporate life than ever before? What would it look like to consciously nurture our yin-side along with our yang? So many organisations are now proving that we can absolutely care about profit as well as the health of our planet (and people). Within wellbeing we know that we can be just as focused on delivering results at work, as well as nurturing our relationships and home life. Can we also recognise our drive for ‘doing, delivering and achieving’ whilst also fully embracing our creative curious and serendipitous side? It’s not about one or the other, it’s about the integration of both parts; a whole brain approach to work and life. We can be both as efficient and effective as a robot and as curious and ingenious as an octopus. And maybe just maybe the whole is more beautiful than the sum of its parts.