Eliminate, Isolate, Integrate, Negate (EIIN)

Robert Cantrell
Director of Consulting
Landon IP, Inc.

Many people have difficulty grasping how to think strategically, particularly when under pressure. This presentation presents a model the author teaches to corporate and government institutions worldwide that provides clarity in strategic thinking without compromising the subtleties needed for strategic success.

At the core of all competitive strategy, success ultimately requires the elimination, isolation, integration, or negation (EIIN) of adversaries. Defined here, an adversary can be any or all of living entities, elements within an environment, or elements internal.

EIIN can be done directly, for example, eliminating by eliminating. EIIN can be done indirectly, for example, eliminating by isolating, integrating, or negating. Expanded, EIIN can be applied not only to the adversary, but to the material, space, time, and safety associated with the adversary's surroundings. Eliminating an element of time, for example, might effectively eliminate an adversary from the contest.

When making a strategic decision, the key questions the strategist must ask is who am I and what do I plan to do? Who or what are my adversaries? Can I eliminate, isolate, integrate, or negate my adversaries? If so, which can I accomplish with minimal harmful consequences and how?

Case examples will include military, marketing, intellectual property, and innovation. A concept underlying all case examples is ideality which is the paradoxical idea that the best strategists achieve their results without an underlying mechanism. "Nothing is done, yet nothing is left undone." Intermittently through the presentation the audience will participate in a unique card game as played by the National Defense University - see http://www.artofwarcards.com.

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