Innovation is Everybody's Business

Innovation isn't something you do after you get your work done. It's how you do your work. Organizations all over the world are shedding jobs in record numbers. Yet today, they are desperately in need of people with the abilities and skills to think ahead of the curve, delight customers, motivate colleagues, slash costs, and achieve unconventional results. In this practical road map to becoming irreplaceable, global innovation guru and bestselling author Robert B. Tucker reveals why honing your I-Skills (Innovation Skills) may be the smartest career move you'll make. Based on interviews with forty-three innovation-adept managers and individual contributors, Innovation Is Everybody's Business guides you in: Mastering the seven essential I-Skills you need to become indispensable Unleashing the “mindset, skillset, and toolset of the innovator” that enable you to anticipate and rise to the challenges your organization faces in a hypercompetitive era Developing your Personal Innovation Strategy to address the critical components of becoming irreplaceable Assaulting your assumptions at the personal, organizational, and industry levels Building tools for work-life balance and creating your own job satisfaction If you're ready to stop talking about innovation and start adding value today – in your job, department or organization – you're ready to read and benefit from the powerful message of Innovation is Everybody's Business.

Introduction: How to Make Yourself Indispensable in Today’s Hypercompetitive World vii Part 1: Unleashing the Indispensable You 1 Chapter 1: Make Innovation Your Business: Differentiating Yourself in the Age of Disruption, Downsizing, and Discontinuity 3 Chapter 2: The I-Skill Principles: Innovation Is Not Something You Do After You Get Your Work Done; It’s How You Approach Your Work 11 Chapter 3: Your Personal Innovation Strategy: Four Critical Components for Making Yourself Harder to Replace 23 Part 2: The Seven Fundamental I-Skills 45 I-Skill #1: Embrace the Opportunity Mindset Add Value to Every Task and Project 47 I-Skill #2: Become an Assumption Assaulter Blast Away at Personal, Organizational, and Industry Notions that Block Progress 65 I-Skill #3: Cultivate a Passion for the End Customer 91 Everything You Create Is Your Product and Every Product Has a Customer I-Skill #4: Think Ahead of the Curve 105 Notice Trends, Anticipate Threats, and Discover Hidden Opportunities I-Skill #5: Become an Idea Factory 125 How to Produce an Abundance of Great Ideas Even If You Don’t Think You Are Creative I-Skill #6: Become a Standout Collaborator 147 Galvanize Teams and Departments to Get New Initiatives Done I-Skill #7: Build the Buy-In for New Ideas 167 Tools and Techniques for Selling Your Innovations to Co-Workers, the Boss, and the End Customer Notes 181 Acknowledgments 187 About the Author 189 Index 191