Professor Anne ter Wal’s research on “Dual Networking: How Collaborators Network in Their Quest for Innovation” shows that dreamers and realists must collaborate early on to prevent ideas being watered down and to turn creative potential into real-world results. 

The principal challenge of innovation is to marry technological opportunity with societal or business need. True innovation is difficult because of the obstacles in bringing these two things together when conceiving ideas, evolving them, and gaining buy-in to develop them. Networks are key to overcoming these obstacles, as they bring together diverse perspectives that shed light on where opportunities might arise, how needs are likely to change, and how to recognise the moment when the two align. 

Architects can design stunning buildings but need the expertise of pragmatic engineers to realise their vision. Film directors with expansive creativity rely on the diligence and tenacity of their producers to bring storylines and scripts to life. In the same way, corporate innovators work with managers to make what’s possible meet what’s needed. As these examples show, cross-role collaborations often require dreamers and divergent thinkers to work together effectively with realists and convergent thinkers. 

Effective collaboration in such partnerships, however, is far from straightforward. It requires individuals to build connections with people outside the like-minded groups with which they are most familiar and naturally inclined to connect. The same differences in perspective that are integral to what can make creative partnerships work so well can be a source of misunderstanding and disagreement. This limits the ability of creative minds and practical thinkers to leverage their combined potential. 

When ideas are ready to progress, both dreamers and realists alike need to engage in “intimate co-creation", which means working together from an early stage.

What does this look like in practice? 

How, then, can dreamers and realists learn to work together more harmoniously and fruitfully? The answer lies in cultivating daily habits that encourage early, open interaction. Leaders can help by fighting the temptation to water down new concepts until they fit existing ways of working, and by providing a safe and free working environment for creative minds to experiment. 

Within such a framework, both dreamers and realists need to embrace "creative collisions". They need to both deliberately seek exposure to new ideas at an early stage, outside of their comfortable and familiar circles, and open up about what ideas are on their mind in spontaneous day-to-day interactions.  

In most innovation settings, this can look like technologists (the specialist scientists whose expertise and curiosity breed novel ideas) taking active steps to discuss ideas with managers, engineers, lawyers and other more practically focused colleagues, and vice versa. Seeding ideas in this way helps to hone them and allows all parties to spot the crucial moment when technological opportunity and market need may converge.  

Following this stage, when ideas are ready to progress, both dreamers and realists alike need to engage in “intimate co-creation", which means working together from an early stage. This sounds simple but represents a significant break from the business world’s normal way of working, where ideas are typically taken to a certain stage and then handed over to another team to take forward sequentially. Often, such handovers lead to ideas being watered down and creativity being compromised.  

By working side-by-side with practical, realist colleagues on a project from inception, creatives reduce the risk that bold ideas are diluted or dismissed and transform potential sceptics into enabling partners who help turn vision into reality. 

Culture change 

In a world of accelerating technological change and shifting economic conditions, organisations cannot afford to miss the fleeting moments when a societal need and a technological opportunity align. Fostering a collaborative culture of innovation, where creatives are confident their ideas are valued and practical minds are comfortable working with them, might be the surest way to avoid missing out on those vital moments.  

Putting this into practice, however, can take time and effort, as it relies on breaking down the siloes that divide not only teams but also roles and professions in organisations. This requires different (net)working practices and habits, and the willingness for both visionaries and realists to leave their comfort zones.