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Specialty
Graphic Imaging Association
Digital Printing & Imaging Association |
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Executive Summary
January 2007
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The Corporate Left Brain-Right Brain Conundrum
Some companies are left-brained. They are efficient, effective and
excel at meeting or exceeding production goals. They execute
tasks with razor-sharp precision. They are the supernovas of the marketplace, bright
stars that dominate — at least for a while.
Right-brained companies are more intuitive, and they shine when it
comes to adapting to change. They’re always on the lookout for
emerging trends and quick to pounce on new opportunities. But their performance
levels are usually less than stellar. As a result, when they are first
to new markets (which is often), these change-friendly right-brained
companies get lost in the shuffle once competition catches up.
Studies of companies operating during the past two decades indicate
that the productive supernovas are often blindsided by change. Their
management is great at moving from point A to point B, but fails to see
the entire marketplace. Conversely, managers at change-friendly companies
have a wider view of the marketplace, but struggle with implementation.
Seen that way, it’s clear the optimal situation is a blend — having
the ability to capture new markets and effectively maximize opportunities.
While achieving left brain-right brain balance is easier said than
done, you can move your management structure toward equilibrium:
- Encourage autonomy and diversity throughout the organization. As the business environment changes, there will be a better chance
that someone in house will anticipate an important shift.
- Share information and set a clear direction. Without cooperation
and shared goals, autonomy among business units is ineffective at
best and destructive at worst. But when autonomous units cooperate,
and the
entire team strives for the same goal, your company benefits from
a fast-paced environment with many opportunities for success.
- Closely monitor the relationship between resources and potential
new opportunities. “Resources” are everything that contributes
to your success — including your company’s strengths, experience,
history and equipment. Taking on a new opportunity might require a
slight change in resources, or even acquiring an entirely new set of
resources.
Watch carefully, though: Risk and cost escalate as the divide between
resources and opportunity widens, taking you farther away from your
corporate comfort zone.
- Ease transitions by stretching capabilities. Many screen
printers took this approach with digital imaging. They added technology
on a small
scale so they could learn it and prepare to expand their resources.
In doing so, they narrowed the gap between their resources and new
opportunities.
- Enjoy the successes, but get the input you need to be ready
for what the future brings. Success can be a tough act to follow.
Success usually means a bigger company, and the bigger the company,
the harder
it is to change direction. Monitor the marketplace and your company
from different vantage points.
That last part is where SGIA comes in. We’re here with information
that will help you maximize your left-brain effectiveness and make the
right right-brained decisions for the future. Tap the SGIA Information
Network fully, and build your left brain-right brain balance. |
