By Robert
Brands with Martin J. Kleinman
ISBN-13: 978-0470596999
By Tony
Deblauwe
Innovation lies at the forefront of company credibility and competitive
advantage. Companies that can transform concepts into new ideas quickly and
bring them to market effectively will win customers and sustain profitability.
Just look at Apple. The road to building brand and market position through
innovation is no easy task. Fortunately, Robert’s Rules of Innovation provides
an in depth plan that describes how companies can be more innovative both in
design mindset, as well as organization structure and talent management.
The best part of this book is the arrangement. Each chapter provides a concept
overview which spells out the simple pneumonic around innovation as:
Inspire
No risk, o innovation
New product development process
Ownership
Value
creation
Accountability
Training and coaching
Idea
management
Observe
and measure
Net
result and reward
This mental checklist (Brands describes as the “Innovators Manifesto”) forms
the foundation of how teams and individuals can approach both new product or
service development as well as overhauling legacy processes. Accompanying each
chapter are summary points, questions to think about, and a generous amount of
graphs and images that tie each process together.
The hardest part of creating change in organizations is to align people to new
thinking. That’s why I particularly enjoyed chapter 4 (Innovation Emancipation)
and how Brands addresses Devil’s Advocates and Champions for Change. Accountability means not only should people
follow-through on commitments, but it also means creating an environment that
involves diversity of thought, trust, and collaboration so that the innovative
mindset can take root. Brands offers tools to build the accountable culture so
that change agents can promote their passion and bring others on board.
The latter chapters offer invaluable process checklists and talking points for
each stage of getting innovation to stick for both immediate goals and as a
sustainable part of organizational ways of working. The book is a concise
reference manual. When I was originally given the book for review a few months
ago I found I had to stop, absorb, then read on. So much is packaged inside
you’ll find yourself re-reading chapters especially if you are trying to foster
innovation in your work environment.
Brands has clearly experienced the ups and
downs of how companies and cultures react to innovating innovative practices
and I’m amazed he was able to break it down into such simple to follow parts. I
feel this is required reading for both large and small companies. You will take
away plenty of tips and techniques that will impact your business and work
environment.
