Michael Lissack
marketing teams. The challenge isn't choosing between scale and respon- siveness—it's designing systems that can deliver both simultaneously.
3. Data Abundance vs. Attention Scarcity
We now generate more data in a day than was created in centuries past, yet human attention remains our scarcest resource. Organizations must navigate this tension between the exponential growth of information and the linear capacity of human cognition. Netflix's approach to content recommendation illustrates this tension. The company processes enormous datasets to personalize recommen- dations, but its interface remains remarkably simple. The complexity is absorbed by algorithms so that the user experience remains coherent.
4. Human Judgment vs. Algorithmic Decision-Making
As algorithms become more capable, organizations face difficult ques- tions about where to deploy automation and where to preserve human judgment. This isn't simply about efficiency—it's about preserving the uniquely human capabilities that create value. Mayo Clinic has navigated this tension by using AI to augment rather than replace clinical decision-making. Their approach recognizes that algorithms excel at pattern recognition across vast datasets, while human clinicians contribute contextual understanding and ethical judgment.
5. Autonomy vs. Alignment
Perhaps the most fundamental tension is between the autonomy needed for agility and the alignment needed for coherence. Organizations must empower individuals and teams to make decisions without waiting for approval, while ensuring these decisions serve a common purpose. This tension is particularly acute in digital-native organizations. Shopify addresses it by promoting what they call "aligned autonomy"— giving teams tremendous freedom within clear strategic guardrails.
12
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease