CHAPTER 7

When Artists and Engineers Meet: An Exercise in Constructive Conflict

Artists are highly imaginative and pulled forward by their big-picture vision. Engineers are objectively scientific and driven by processes that provide data and direction. While Artists are stronger in conceptualizing radical new ideas, Engineers are better at making them work and putting them into operation. So the way to harness the strengths of both is to start with an Artistic vision and end with an Engineer’s detailed plan.

Metaphors are comparisons between two things that are usually unrelated. In essence, they allow us to make complex connections simple and legible. For example, when we see a television commercial comparing drinking a soda to jumping into a swimming pool on a hot summer day, we make the unmistakable connection that the drink is refreshing. Using metaphors to connect large, unrelated ideas is typically a strength of the Artist.

Conversely, metaphors can be used to make the simple complex. Using the same example, there are many functions and attributes associated with a swimming pool that do not immediately come to mind when thinking about drinking a soda: a diving board, swimming attire, or chlorine. By connecting those aspects that are not readily associated, the metaphor becomes more detailed and operational, a strong suit of the Engineer. As such, metaphors are an effective way to constructively unite these two oppositional dominant worldviews.

In this exercise, we’ll use metaphors to create a hybrid solution combining both the Artist and Engineer dominant worldviews:

1. State your challenge. This can either be an opportunity you wish to capture or a problem you wish to solve.

2. Pick a few metaphors and experiment with them. Below are a few to get you started:

• Planting a garden

• Spreading a rumor

• Getting a date

• Calculating a tip

• Buckling seatbelts

• Paying taxes

• Preparing for a marathon

3. Ask yourself: How is our challenge like this metaphor? Use the free-association technique to look for any and all connections, both obvious and not-so-obvious ones. Suspend your voice of judgment. Be sure to write your ideas down so you don’t lose them.

4. Once you find a metaphor that works and fully develop it, turn it inside-out. For example, let’s say your challenge is how to get into a top-rated college, and you’ve selected planting a garden as your metaphor. You’ve made the obvious connections between the metaphor and the challenge, such as the need to plant a diverse mixture of vegetables at the proper time and applying to a wide array of institutions, some for early admission while others for standard admission. After you have considered the conspicuous connections, look for functions and attributes of planting a garden that are inconspicuous: soil pH, sources of water, frost damage, or financial constraints. This force-fitting of the details associated with planting a garden makes the potential solution to the challenge more comprehensive and easier to put into operation.

5. Finally, translate the various elements of the solution into an action plan. For example, the metaphor of making sure the soil pH is optimal for growing your crops might translate into applying to those schools whose admission standards are best suited for your credentials. The first step in your action plan may be to gather information on the admission criteria of top schools and to focus only on those often overlooked and where your application is likely to flourish.

By using metaphors, you can capitalize on the constructive conflict between the large-scale vision of the artist and the operational detail of the engineer to produce innovative solutions that are both original and practical.