Plenty has been said about this topic. The core idea behind it is this: hunters are quick-thinking people who struggle to focus for extended periods of time. but their ability to innovate and react quickly is an asset. Farmers move steadily, methodically and gradually through the world.
Seth Godin said once that the era of the farmer is over and now it’s the era of the hunter.
I disagree. I think today’s organization needs both, and needs them to work in tandem.
One of the most successful partnerships I had at NSCS was with my now former colleague Phil Herbert. Phil is the quintessential hunter– quick-thinking, innovative, able to focus intensely but fleetingly. I’m the utter reverse, if you haven’t guessed already. I’m the ultimate farmer– methodical, steady and process-driven ( or process-obsessed, depending on who you ask).
Together we compensated for each other’s weaknesses and enhanced each others’ strengths. Thanks to him, my projects became more innovative, my solutions to problems more efficient and elegant. Thanks to me, our projects got out of the door with every detail and deadline intact, and under budget.
The trend continues at NSCS with all our other employees as well. As managers, we work to balance our teams with creative, innovative and crisis-driven types, alongside the methodical planners who think through every detail and contingency. We also try and put the right type of person in the right type of job. Putting a methodical person in a job that requires constant change and innovation is not only cruel, but also setting that person up for failure. We do everything possible from personality testing to our interviewing questions, to get a feel for how someone’s natural aptitudes dovetail (or not)with a job. The result is we have a group of people who are suited for their jobs and can succeed in them.
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