Turn team members into innovators Most organizations approach innovation as if it were a sideline activity. Every so often employees are sent to Brainstorm Island" an off-site replete with trendy lectures creative workshops & overenthusiastic facilitators. But once they return it's back to business as usual. Innovation experts Paddy Miller & Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg suggest a better approach. They recommend that leaders at all levels become "innovation architects " creating an ecosystem in which people engage in key innovation behaviors as part of their daily work. In short this book is about getting to a state of "innovation as usual " where regular employees--in jobs like finance marketing sales or operations--make innovation happen in a way that's both systemic & sustainable. Instead of organizing brainstorming sessions idea jams & off-sites that rarely result in success leaders should guide their people in what the authors call the "5 + 1 keystone behaviors" of innovation: focus connect tweak select stealthstorm (and the + 1) persist:
- Focus beats freedom Direct people to look only for ideas that matter to the business- Insight comes from the outside Urge people to connect to new worlds- First ideas are flawed Challenge people to tweak & reframe their initial ideas- Most ideas are bad ideas Guide people to select the best ideas & discard the rest- Stealthstorming rules Help people navigate the politics of innovation- Creativity is a choice Motivate everyone to persist in the five keystone behaviors Using examples from a wide range of companies such as Pfizer Index Ventures Lonza Go Travel Prehype DSM & others " Innovation as Usual" lights the way toward embedding creativity in the DNA of the workplace. So cancel that off-site. Instead read " Innovation as Usual"--and put innovation at the core of your business."