Extend and Embrace

One of my favorite expressions is "Extend and Embrace", which should not be confused with the old Microsoft expression "Embrace, extend and extinguish" (which is meant to eliminate the competition).

The need for Extend and Embrace (EaE) is that organizations get stuck in doing what they have always done. Combined with the increasing emphasis on structure and controls makes it very difficult to do anything new and different. The result is usually that you get very good, efficient and controlled at doing the same things; however more nimble competitors start doing new things (sometimes disruptive things) that allow them take your clients and gain market share.

Sometimes it is not the obvious competitor, that causes issues as the market you are serving gets disrupted from things from adjacent segments or even crossing between the consumer and business markets come into play (or vice versa).

So this is where EaE comes in as a way to combat these risks. As a business or an organization you need to look at new things and new ways of doing things. In doing this you need to ignore the fact that they don't fit your existing processes, frameworks, whatever. The key is to find ways to break the mold allowing you to extend your business. Once these extension ideas start to bear fruit there will be time to embrace them with your processes and controls and bring them into what will now be an extended fold.

It should be noted that sometimes new ideas won't work. Don't be afraid to be honest with yourself and abandon the ones that are not working. Learn from these failures so the next idea will work better.

Following this EaE philosophy will allow you keep current with your competitors where ever there may be.

Tell us about you EaE successes so others can follow the EaE path.