Exploration or efficiency?

Yes, you can have both. But only to an extent. It's a sliding scale.

The more dialed in to following rules and processes, the less room for exploration. The more room you make for exploration and failure, the less stringent your processes become.

The middle road is for the faint of heart. Those too scared of alienating anyone on either side to fully commit.

The edges are for those who are comfortable enough in their own skin to be the nerdy rule followers, or (the more fun) rebels with a cause.