Art and Science
Forget Balance, Embrace the Tension
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the balance of ‘art’ and ‘science,’ the blend of opposites, and how it might be a key ingredient in our work.
There are several dichotomies we hear a lot in strategy and design:
structured time vs. unstructured time
planned vs. unplanned
controllable vs. uncontrollable
execution vs. exploration
efficient vs. inefficient*
forcing things vs. letting things happen
Many design frameworks utilize this tension as an essential part of their tool.
For example, in the design thinking double diamond, we ‘flare’ and explore broadly and then we ‘focus’ to narrow to a clear opportunity or problem to solve. Then we flare again to consider possible solutions to our problem and focus again to today’s best solution. (Depending on how you look at things, there is also a third diamond around execution. You can read more about that here.) Having this push and pull as part of the process gives us guardrails; we let go, but only to a certain point, and then we pull things back together again.
We also see it in futures forecasting, where we use trends and inflection points to explore probable, possible, and preposterous futures- but then try to make them relatable through stories we can share. We go really far out and then pull it back.
We see it as we attempt to create new and innovative solutions and then bring them into organizations that are built for efficiency and scale. We do ‘blue sky’ exploration and then face the reality of nearer-term incremental steps.
We hear it in the adage that ‘creativity loves constraint.’
Without these tensions, where would we be? Perhaps on a wild goose chase? Perhaps revolutionizing the world? Perhaps stuck in a rut because we never ventured out of our comfort zone…
I had been considering these ideas when two podcasts entered my queue:
On Pivot, Ben talks with Kara Swisher about the merging of work life and home life. Specifically for himself but also as he reflects on his childhood growing up with two performers, his dad, Jerry Stiller, and his mom Anne Meara (who performed together as part of a comedy duo). Ben also discusses the show Severance, on which he’s a producer. If you’re not familiar, Serverance is about a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. The show begs the question: Do we want home and work to be isolated? Or do we want them to be together? What’s the right amount of mixing?
On Rapid Response, Brian Niccol talks about his turnaround plan for Starbucks. He shares where Starbucks was putting its focus and where it’s putting it now. It’s a good listen with a lot of great insights. One thing that stuck out to me was his comments about how, when, and where Starbucks tries to be efficient- for example, by managing orders. And when and why they want to be inefficient- for example, greeting you when you order, writing your name on a cup, making sure their stores are a great place to hang out. It’s a balancing act, just between these two attributes, not to mention all the others he must consider.
All of these ideas bring to light the value of the mixing. That we’re never 100% being or doing anything, and that’s for the best. Embracing the push and pull between dichotomies is how we grow- the friction and cross-pollination creating the invaluable 1+1=3.
How do you make choices between opposites? How do you use and manage dichotomies in your work and life? Join the conversation in the comments—
*Disclaimer: lack of efficiency is often a great thing