Communicating the vision in an ambidextrous organization: connecting with both sides of your brain

Leaders of innovative technology organizations face the challenge of communicating their vision to two very different internal constituents. Studies show that firms attempting to commercialize radical innovations perform best when they are organized into structurally independent units with one or more business units focused on exploiting existing capabilities and products, and one or more units focused on exploring new technologies. The ongoing operations side of such firms has well-developed dexterity in areas related to efficiency. The exploratory side has well-developed dexterity in areas related to flexibility. Because of these specialized and conflicting dexterities, such firms are known as "ambidextrous organizations". Using examples from technology firms, we explore the communication styles of leaders in successful ambidextrous organizations who balance the needs of the present with the needs of the future and who tolerate the ambiguity and inconsistency created by conflicting needs.