"In many organizations, we can become bogged down by the short-term and the actions with instrumental value: what does this task require and what will it get us? Or each employee simply becomes so busy or specialized that they do not have the bandwidth to explore more broadly at an individual level. In the face of this, organizations can become overly narrow, unable to look at the broader landscape of ideas or simply engage in a sense of play. "
Despite trying to make space for this in the organization, my experience has been without somebody dedicated, it's very difficult. But it's also a difficult role to fill, as you need to find someone with the right makeup, or the right place in their career to be comfortable with the ambiguity around such a role. I'm curious, how do you think about this type of role in the context of organizations outside of venture? What would you look for in someone to fill such a role?
Thanks! And great question. I’m not sure there’s a pat answer here, and there seem to be lots of relevant attributes for this kind of role. That being said, one valuable skill would be the ability to navigate multiple fields and translate jargon across different domains. Definitely lots more though, from specific abilities to the stage of one’s career that might be relevant.
Some good insights here Sam! This part struck me:
"In many organizations, we can become bogged down by the short-term and the actions with instrumental value: what does this task require and what will it get us? Or each employee simply becomes so busy or specialized that they do not have the bandwidth to explore more broadly at an individual level. In the face of this, organizations can become overly narrow, unable to look at the broader landscape of ideas or simply engage in a sense of play. "
Despite trying to make space for this in the organization, my experience has been without somebody dedicated, it's very difficult. But it's also a difficult role to fill, as you need to find someone with the right makeup, or the right place in their career to be comfortable with the ambiguity around such a role. I'm curious, how do you think about this type of role in the context of organizations outside of venture? What would you look for in someone to fill such a role?
Thanks! And great question. I’m not sure there’s a pat answer here, and there seem to be lots of relevant attributes for this kind of role. That being said, one valuable skill would be the ability to navigate multiple fields and translate jargon across different domains. Definitely lots more though, from specific abilities to the stage of one’s career that might be relevant.