Design Principle 11: Use Edges and Value the Marginal

Design Principle 11: Use Edges and Value the Marginal 

When uncertainty and fear dominate decision making, it is tempting to draw inwards and retreat to what is familiar. We ‘Play it safe’ or ‘Hold the horses’ waiting for a better time to expand or push our boundaries, whether they are personal or business, forgetting that it is in the act of stretching our boundaries to the edge, and making courageous decisions that often the greatest, and sometimes unexpected, outcomes are achieved.  

Here are 5 ways that the design principle Use Edges and Value the Marginal can be applied to your business or organisation. 

1. Collaborative business models: How can you cooperate rather than compete? Your biggest rivals could also be your strongest allies, if you partner to expand opportunities. A clash of ideas could create exciting new models of practice. Explore social enterprise or shared cooperative models that focus on shared benefits as well as profit. Partner with community groups and nonprofits to create mutually beneficial opportunities and strengthen your organisation’s structure and resilience. 
2. Knowledge Banking: Value the expertise and experience held by staff, especially long-term employees, as it contributes significantly to problem-solving and efficiency within the organisation. Create opportunities to meet and work across departmental boundaries and encourage open sharing of ideas where everything is welcome. You never know what might cross pollinate! 
3. Employee Diversity and Development: Seek out the skills, opinions and experiences of diverse and under-represented groups – there may be opportunities you have never considered. Invest in your employees by providing opportunities including training, conferences, leadership mentoring, team building days, mental health programs, and flexible working arrangements. Create systems for your employees to transfer to different departments to learn new skills or engage with cross-boundary working groups. Demonstrating that you value your staff can lead to increased engagement, retention, and productivity, reducing turnover and the associated costs of recruiting new staff. 
4. Community Engagement: Participate in professional networks, sponsor local organisations or events, and engage in community activities to enhance your business’s reputation and goodwill within the local or professional community. Think of it as an investment, rather than a cost, as you expand your field of influence and possibilities. 
5. Customer Retention: Focus on providing excellent service to existing customers rather than solely concentrating on acquiring new ones. Offer benefits like discounts, rewards, and exclusive information to create value and loyalty among existing customers. How can you add value in novel ways, or perhaps collaborate to provide additional services or experiences to existing customers? Take advantage of referral networks to provide reciprocal or add-on services.  

Thinking and acting outside of our own comfort zone and into the weedy unknown may feel risky, but it has the potential to yield unimagined rewards!