Art Versus Science

The fact that BTM relies upon interconnected models should tip you off that the unspecified genius of an artist isn't consistent enough to solve the disconnect. But, on the other hand, BTM doesn't try to shoehorn very different organizations into the same strict, step-by-step procedure the way a methodology does. The right place to locate BTM on the art/science spectrum is somewhere between the two extremes: It provides just enough structure without checking the individuality that each employee brings to the job. This is why I described BTM as an approach that aligns business and technology rather than a methodology or some amorphous "ten secrets of alignment." The latter relies on too science while the former leans too heavily on art.

A Recipe for BTM

"Is a recipe art or science? It's science to some degree, since it includes measurements, temperatures , and cooking times, but there's also an art to it. If two people followed the same recipe would they come out with exactly the same outcome? A more accurate way to frame the question might be to ask whether it's a bad thing if two people cook the same recipe and the results differ slightly but are equally delicious ?

One way to look at BTM is as a recipe which, if internalized by the CIO and senior IT staff, can help to enable the scientific aspects of their responsibilities more efficiently and effectively. But there still is that other, creative side that includes who are you as a person or leader? What are your values? And how well do you communicate the issues and opportunities that emanate from IT to your peers in the business? It's not realistic, in other words, to expect everybody to approach alignment in exactly the same way; we're not little robots or clones . But at the same time you need a recipe, and BTM provides that."

” Tom Trainer, former CIO, Citigroup, Inc.; Eli Lilly & Co.; and Reebok International, Ltd.; chairman of the Executive Committee, enamics, Inc .