Why businesses need a dreamer’s magic and a doer’s realism

Culture strategist Beth Viner explores the dynamic between dreamers and doers in a business setting.

She highlights the importance of harnessing both out-of-the-box thinking and practicality to foster innovation and growth within organizations.

Dreamers are characterized as zero-to-one humans who thrive in problem-solving with non-linear solutions, often finding new opportunities through their untethered approach to reality.

Conversely, doers are one-to-n individuals who ensure continuity and success within companies.

Bridging this tension, I believe that that is the key to organizations continuing to build, grow and make new and different things. – Beth Viner

Despite their contrasting approaches, both dreamers and doers are pivotal for organizational growth.

Bridging the inherent tension between these two types is crucial for continuous innovation.

Lola, a feminine health reproductive company co-founded by two dreamers, expanded its business by hiring doers with retail sales experience.

This move enabled them to get their product onto physical and virtual shelves at major retailers.

To mitigate tension between dreamers and doers within Lola, compensation was tied not just to product placement but also overall business performance.

This strategy fostered relationship-building, cross-business line sharing, and internal communication.

Your zero-to-one dreamers, well, I hate to tell you, but I think they probably missed the memo about your corporate processes because honestly, it never occurred to them that there are corporate processes they should be concerned with. – Beth Viner

Creating a ‘corporate mosh pit’ allows both dreamers and doers to contribute their unique skills towards organizational success from different starting points.

It’s a space where ideas can clash constructively.

‘Building speed bumps’, or establishing explicit processes or cadence for teams helps create better alignment among various roles within an organization.

It ensures everyone is moving at a pace conducive to overall success.

Recognizing and celebrating all wins, irrespective of whether they come from dreamer or doer teams, is crucial.

It fosters a sense of unity and shared achievement within the organization.