The E & M Factors

For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.                                                                                                                                                                                         - Khalil Gibran

Just over ten years ago I had the incredible opportunity to live and work for two and a half years in post apartheid Namibia (located just northwest of South Africa). While there I received an education that no post-graduate degree could give me here in the states.

Working in community development and education program training in a developing country, I learned in some of the most challenging of situations, the enormous benefits of both creative and analytical approaches to solving complex problems.

When I wasn’t working, reading proved to be an excellent way to escape my immediate surroundings, as well as a way to become more familiar with it too. I devoured books on southern African literature and history as well as other books on philosophy, politics and culture. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran became one of my favorite books (as I read and re-read it often).

In the book a gentlemen speaks about life by answering questions asked by individuals in a crowd as he waits for a ship to take him back to his homeland. About halfway through the book he discusses the ideas of passion and reason and the need for both to be embraced in each of our daily lives. From a professional standpoint, this proved invaluable for me in my daily work. Whether I was organizing an education workshop for the teaching staff or developing a fundraising strategy for a community project, balancing my passion with cool-headed practicality, helped to move ideas forward in a way that was intelligent, thoughtful and effective.

About a decade later, that same approach continues to prove valuable - especially looking at where we are today. Businesses and organizations need both right and left brain thinking to begin solving for today’s market Rubik’s cube. In our work, here at Cnvrgnc, we unofficially refer to it as our Essence and Mechanics Factors. We don't see these ideas as advantageous, but almost necessary. Essence is the ideas and application of culture, narrative, improvisation, sensibility, story and empathy,  used in tandem with the mechanics of strategy, execution, prototyping, tactics, process and finances, in the deveopment of business.

The two have to co-exist. When all you have is mechanics, void of essence, there’s no meaning. There’s nothing of substance that allows for a deeper relationship with either your employees or your customers. New developments for the business simply become a bunch of (possibly) improved maneuvers. Essence, on the other hand, with no mechanics is insanely great stuff with no way to measure how great it really is. There's no way to determine how you should bring it to market, where to sell it or who even wants it.

Sad is the day an idea is born that can bring joy to your community, yet it’s unable to happen. The inability to see the value in E & M Factors (and effectively act on them) isn’t a shame; it’s tragic.