Extitutional thinking, Amber states, is an idea of thinking outside the normal routine of things. She believes that extitutional thinkers are “on the edge” of normal thinkers, thinking outside the box and always adapting to change.
Amber Case goes on to explain what an extitutional exclosure is by using the Greeks as an example. Speaking on how Greeks view time, there are two types of time, chronos and kairos. Chronos time is good for the corporate world, repeatable actions throughout the day. Kairos, she relates, is all about memories. The special moments in one’s life.
As Amber eludes, corporations can spend too much time in chronos time and not enough time in kairos time, leading to the stalling of innovative thinking and transformation. Workers get too attached to the way they have always done things and miss all the great changes that could have occurred if they focused on innovating and adapting.
Amber believes that corporations can be in both chronos and kairos time by having a small group of innovative thinkers that are always researching and developing new ideas that keep the company ever-evolving and not becoming stagnant.
Netflix is used as a great example for a company that tried to utilize innovations and succeeded once, but then did not have “rolling innovation”. They did not keep innovation as a focused goal of theirs, and suffered. Other companies have come along and overtook Netflix because they were focused on innovation and constantly evolving and adapting.
Amber states that companies need to always understand the environment that they are in, be able to map it out, and then execute change. As a company, you are never safe. Amber believes that companies need to constantly be on the edge looking for that new thing to keep the “rolling innovation” that is key for a successful company. It can be scary, but it’s worth it in the end. Change is not a comfortable space, but it is necessary to stay afloat in the ever-changing world of technology and business.
Amber Case closes out by touching on the fact that innovative thinking can be utilized in different manners. She highlights that companies can benefit exponentially not only from innovating but selling that innovative technology to other companies. Innovation is not only there to bring the company forward and adapt to change but also to make profits by selling that innovative technology to others.
Dyson is a company that Amber Case uses as a great example of this idea. They were focused on how loud a vacuum was and dedicated time and resources into creating a model that was quieter. Workers accomplished this and then Dyson sold the technology for an enormous profit. With their dedication, they created an innovation in a market that hadn’t had an innovation in over 40 years.
It’s always smart that companies understand the environment they are in and to adapt but also keep the consumers in mind and that they will actually need this innovation in the future. That is the key to a successful company.
