two “concepts and practices” - seemingly at odds with each other
Konstantinos Konstantinidis, M.D., Ph.D.
Director - ExCtu - addressing the Health Tourism Sector "Builder Class" (a.k.a. the "growth makers" and “developers”) by providing the infrastructure supporting economic activity and enabling the system to function
…acting in a complementary - reciprocal - “push – pull” manner
The two items used to illustrate this article:
With regards to Health Tourism Development, in my role as "strategist", I find myself urging industry players amongst the "builder class" (a.k.a. growth makers) – i.e., those responsible for development - to, both, “delimit” and “push the envelope” – for reasons explained in this article.
Although the two “concepts and practices” seem to be at odds with each other, in the context of Health Tourism Development, they are “complementary” – acting in a reciprocal “Push – Pull” manner.
The “messages” in this article will be best-understood if one also considers the following:
delimit
…set and define the boundaries
The term delimit (as a verb) means to set or define the boundaries of something.
Stated a little differently, it emphasizes the act of creating clear and distinct limits.
I advise this, in instances where industry players, in their effort to “cover every possible eventuality”, create and talk about “offerings” which are “anything and everything – but nothing specific”.
For example, in the case of Wellness Tourism, there are those industry players who want – and aim – to attach the term “wellness” to anything and everything.
Someone jokingly suggested: throw in the kitchen sink and you can call it “wellness”.
This “non-delimited” approach to development and promotion creates confusion and uncertainty in the minds if the health consumer – and deprives the provider and service of “credibility”.
And it is because of this proclivity and tendency that, to a considerable degree, Wellness – as a concept and practice – still suffers from what is known as: Credibility Deficit.
push the envelope
…go beyond the usual or normal limits - in order to achieve something new (i.e., to innovative)
The term “envelope” refers to something that (figuratively) surrounds or encloses something else – and in essence, sets the boundaries and limits of this something.
An “envelope” delimits – by referring to established boundaries, limitations, or expectations.
The term “push” signifies exerting effort or pressure to move something forward – or “beyond”.
The phrase "push the envelope" is an idiom that means to go beyond the usual or normal limits, in order to achieve something new and innovative (especially through what is known as Permissionless Innovation – see further up).
It implies exceeding established boundaries.
Stated a little differently, "pushing the envelope" essentially means aiming to surpass what has been done before or what is considered acceptable (which is where permissionless innovation comes in).
It usually involves:
?????????? doing something new and innovative
?????????? testing the limits of what is possible
?????????? breaking away from conventional methods or approaches
?????????? challenging existing norms or conventions
Contemporary Health Tourism encourages and enables “pushing the envelope” with knowledge tools and resources provided by the Health Tourism Sandbox:
?BTW, the idiom "push the envelope" originated in the field of aeronautics. An "envelope" referred to the performance limits of an aircraft – its maximum speed, altitude, and other capabilities. Test pilots would "push the envelope" by flying the aircraft to its absolute limits, sometimes even exceeding them to see what was possible.