With the explosion of information through the internet and social media, we never need to worry about lacking new ideas. These ideas and information regularly bombard us in an overwhelming flood. Which should I choose? How many of these can I do at once? Should I do any of them? Why did this seem so much easier for that other guy?
Function & Form
Function relates to purpose. It answers the question, “why?” and defines the reasons you have to do something. Understanding function leads you to consider the necessary preconditions or assumptions for an activity and the desired outcomes. The 5 Whys is an excellent exercise for surfacing the function.
Form is the visible shape or configuration of something. It encompasses the methods and strategies. Form answers the questions of “what?” and “how?” After clarifying the function, form fills in the details and plan for how to realize the purpose.
Function must come first. It directs the purpose of your strategies and actions so they can take proper form rather than merely having activity for activity’s sake. Focusing on form without function leads you to emulate an activity without knowing whether it will help you reach your goal.
Function relates to purpose. It answers the question, “why?”
Function, or principles, enables you to adapt methods, or forms, to your circ*mstances and adjust to the continually changing environments around you. Function can act as a filter by which to evaluate new ideas.
One year, members of my team attended a conference, which I did not participate. When they returned, they brought with them new ideas, many of which were excellent. Some of them involved how to meet new people on different campuses. These were really creative and probably effective for their intended purpose.
The problem, though, was our team didn’t need to meet many new people at that point. We needed to engage deeper with the sea of people whom we had already met. I dismissed the idea, but in hindsight, I could have taken that enthusiasm and said something like, “that’s a great idea and seems fun, right now we seem to know a bunch of people already, how do we move from where we are now to a place where that strategy could help us?”
This approach could have taken their enthusiasm for the form, filtered it through the functions related to our reality, and then aimed it at something which met us where we currently are.
