What is it about?

A new teaching approach helps individuals balance creative and practical thinking for addressing complex challenges. By working directly with real problem-solving tensions, workshop participants build confidence and generate more innovative solutions faster. They develop the 'ambidextrous' skills needed to navigate complex, fast-changing environments.

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Why is it important?

Organizations face increasing complexity and rapid change. The ability to think both creatively and critically to generate both original and viable solutions has become a critical skill gap. This study offers one of the first evidence-based methods for understanding and teaching that capability – ambidexterity – rather than simply describing it. It identifies the essential elements of a ‘paradox pedagogy’ teaching model and reveals how ambidextrous mindsets and behaviors co-evolve. The research provides a timely, practical roadmap for developing more innovative, adaptable problem-solvers at scale.

Perspectives

I was motivated to do this research because organizations are facing more uncertainty than ever - yet we still train people to think in linear, either–or ways. I wanted to design a learning experience that builds the mental agility to solve problems more creatively and effectively. To can come up with better solutions faster. What matters most about this study is that it offers practical, evidence-based guidance for developing the ambidexterity leaders keep telling us they need - the ability to generate solutions that are both innovative and viable. My hope is that this work helps educators and organizations grow more adaptive, innovative problem-solvers who can thrive in complexity.

Dr Gaia Grant
University of Sydney

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Cultivating Ambidexterity Through a Paradox Pedagogy: A Developmental Model for Innovative Problem-Solving, Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, June 2026, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/10525629261439105.
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