Either / Or Thinking

From The TrueTalk Blog:

"Either It's 'Design' Or It's 'Innovation'

Recently, I've been thinking about what for me is a new indicator of individual or organizational robustness: the ability to transcend either/or thinking. Not being able to get past thinking of something as either this or that is not likely to lead to successfully navigating the new frontiers in which we find ourselves. For example, thinking of yourself as either a 'producer' or 'consumer' of content is no longer applicable. Nor is it reasonable to focus on either 'quality' or 'cost.' How about, either 'free trade' or 'protectionism?' Doesn't work.

We live today in the complexity of a both/and world.

So, I was interested to read Bruce Nussbaum's latest post concerning the latest of these straw dichotomies: if I can't touch it, is it, 'design' or is it 'innovation'? Simply put, is it appropriate to speak about designing intangibles, like business models, or experiences? Or, should the more B-school friendly term, innovation, apply?

I think we've been here before."

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