The Innovation Zone : How Great Companies Re-Innovate for Amazing Success

The Innovation Zone demonstrates that most dynamic innovations are not a single stroke of brilliance and great, new products but are a disciplined, easily-learned business process that includes an organizational incubator that supports and sustains the practice of turning ideas into breakthrough innovations. Debunking nearly all other books' approach that innovation is just great products, classic examples such as GM and OnStar(R) and 3M and Post-It-Notes(R) demonstrate how the author's Six Lessons of Innovation can be learned, refined, and developed by leaders and organizations into core competencies for success. Quotes......Page 2 Table of Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 15 About the Author......Page 17 Introduction: Innovation in an Era of Uncertainty......Page 18 01 Unexpected Possibilities......Page 24 The Nature of Innovation......Page 27 Generations of Innovation......Page 28 The Five Laws of Innovation......Page 30 Why an Innovation Zone?......Page 42 Innovation Zone Building Blocks......Page 44 Putting an Innovation Zone in Place......Page 47 Innovation Recap......Page 48 02 Building an Innovation Process......Page 50 Avoiding Innovation Killers......Page 52 Building an Innovation Capability......Page 57 Case Study: Partners HealthCare......Page 58 Investing in an Innovation Zone......Page 64 Innovation Recap......Page 66 03 Leading Innovation......Page 68 Leading to the Core......Page 69 Leading from the Core......Page 71 Quick Case: IBM......Page 72 Leading Outside the Core......Page 73 Quick Case: Oracle......Page 74 Leading to an Innovation Culture......Page 75 Leading to Counterbalance Entrenchment......Page 79 Leading to a Structure for Innovation......Page 81 Innovation Recap......Page 87 04 Innovation 2.0......Page 89 The Birth of the Modern Innovation Lab......Page 90 Where Does Innovation Reside?......Page 91 Innovation 2.0......Page 93 Creating an Innovation 2.0 Portfolio......Page 96 Moving to Innovation 2.0......Page 99 Quick Case: The Edsel......Page 102 Using the Innovation 2.0 Portfolio......Page 103 Innovation Recap......Page 105 05 Open-Minded Innovation......Page 106 Letting the Outside In......Page 107 Not Everything Is Open......Page 109 Working the Problem......Page 110 Unintentional Innvoation......Page 111 Case Study: Precor's High-Impact Innovation......Page 112 Quick Case: P&G's Innovation Scale......Page 116 Case Study: InnoCentive Changing the Economics of Innovation......Page 117 The Ultimate Open Innovation......Page 120 Innovation Recap......Page 123 06 The Seven Lessons of Innovation......Page 125 Build for the Unknown: NASA and the Space Suit......Page 127 Fail Fast: Sony and the Pocket Radio......Page 130 Abandon the Success of the Past: Apple and the iPod......Page 134 Separate the Seeds from the Weeds: General Motors and OnStar......Page 136 Focus on Process over Product: 3M and Post-it Notes......Page 141 Create an Innovation Experience: Cheskin......Page 143 Challenge Conventional Wisdom: The iRobot Story......Page 150 There's No Going Back......Page 153 Innovation Recap......Page 154 Measuring Innovation......Page 155 Measuring Velocity Through the Innovation Change......Page 156 Measuring the Velocity of Innovation......Page 160 Enabling Innovation with Technology......Page 164 Innovation Recap......Page 169 08 Globalization and a National Innovation Agenda......Page 170 Global Innovation......Page 172 The Innovation Agenda......Page 178 Protecting Innovation......Page 185 Green Innovation......Page 186 Innovation Recap......Page 188 Epilogue......Page 189 Appendix: What's Your Innovation Number?......Page 194 Comparing Your Innovation Capability......Page 198 Your Own Innovation Rating......Page 208 Your Overall Score......Page 210 Notes......Page 212 Index......Page 214 Davies-Black Publishing Quotes 2 Table of Contents 8 Preface 9 Acknowledgments 15 About the Author 17 Introduction: Innovation in an Era of Uncertainty 18 01 Unexpected Possibilities 24 The Nature of Innovation 27 Generations of Innovation 28 The Five Laws of Innovation 30 Why an Innovation Zone? 42 Innovation Zone Building Blocks 44 Putting an Innovation Zone in Place 47 Innovation Recap 48 02 Building an Innovation Process 50 Avoiding Innovation Killers 52 Building an Innovation Capability 57 Case Study: Partners HealthCare 58 Investing in an Innovation Zone 64 Innovation Recap 66 03 Leading Innovation 68 Leading to the Core 69 Leading from the Core 71 Quick Case: IBM 72 Leading Outside the Core 73 Quick Case: Oracle 74 Leading to an Innovation Culture 75 Leading to Counterbalance Entrenchment 79 Leading to a Structure for Innovation 81 Innovation Recap 87 04 Innovation 2.0 89 The Birth of the Modern Innovation Lab 90 Where Does Innovation Reside? 91 Innovation 2.0 93 Creating an Innovation 2.0 Portfolio 96 Moving to Innovation 2.0 99 Quick Case: The Edsel 102 Using the Innovation 2.0 Portfolio 103 Innovation Recap 105 05 Open-Minded Innovation 106 Letting the Outside In 107 Not Everything Is Open 109 Playing the Numbers 110 Working the Problem 110 Unintentional Innvoation 111 Case Study: Precor's High-Impact Innovation 112 Quick Case: P&G's Innovation Scale 116 Case Study: InnoCentive Changing the Economics of Innovation 117 The Ultimate Open Innovation 120 Innovation Recap 123 06 The Seven Lessons of Innovation 125 Build for the Unknown: NASA and the Space Suit 127 Fail Fast: Sony and the Pocket Radio 130 Abandon the Success of the Past: Apple and the iPod 134 Separate the Seeds from the Weeds: General Motors and OnStar 136 Focus on Process over Product: 3M and Post-it Notes 141 Create an Innovation Experience: Cheskin 143 Challenge Conventional Wisdom: The iRobot Story 150 There's No Going Back 153 Innovation Recap 154 07 Measurement and Technology in Innovation 155 Measuring Innovation 155 Measuring Velocity Through the Innovation Change 156 Measuring the Velocity of Innovation 160 Enabling Innovation with Technology 164 Innovation Recap 169 08 Globalization and a National Innovation Agenda 170 Global Innovation 172 The Innovation Agenda 178 Protecting Innovation 185 Green Innovation 186 Innovation Recap 188 Epilogue 189 Appendix: What's Your Innovation Number? 194 Comparing Your Innovation Capability 198 Your Own Innovation Rating 208 Your Overall Score 210 Notes 212 Index 214 ISBN-13:,9780891062349 "In this insider's view of the way innovation occurs in leading organizations today, Thomas Koulopoulos takes readers beyond the glitz of the latest gadgets to explore the methods, tools, and behaviors needed to develop innovation as a core competency and generate the highest market value for the business, respect for the brand, and long-term competitive dominance. He provides dozens of stories to demonstrate how the most dynamic innovations have been developed: not by a single invention or flash of brilliance but through a structured, easily learned business process. Packed with assessment tools, proven techniques, and the author's Innovation 2.0 framework, The Innovation Zone explores in detail the Seven Lessons of Innovation for any leader committed to championing a culture of innovation, funding its sustainability, and creating a protected space where ideas are identified, evaluated, nurtured, and, finally, put into practice."--Jacket Invent less. Innovate more. And join the next generation of successful global players.Innovation has become a mantra for organizations facing unprecedented market pressures and worldwide competition. But can it be taught or developed as a core competency? Are there rules for turning great ideas into breakthrough innovations that alter behavior and culture, change the companyâ??customer relationship, and carve out a path to global business success? Profiling dozens of todayâ??s most innovative organizations, The Innovation Zone delivers a new playbook for creating a structured business model of innovation that focuses on process, not products, to generate sustainable value and competitive dominance. Demonstrates how the most dynamic innovations have been developed: not by a single stroke of brilliance and great, products but through a disciplined, easily-learned business process that includes an organizational 'incubator' that supports and sustains the practice of turning ideas into break-through innovations.