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Innovator's Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work (Harvard Business School Press) (Harvard Business School Press) (Harvard Business School Press) (Harvard Business School Press) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Scott D. Anthony, Mark W. Johnson, Joseph V. Sinfield, Elizabeth J. Altman
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 27959
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 7.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 1591398460
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.4063
EAN: 9781591398462
ASIN: 1591398460
Publication Date: June 23, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new
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Product Description
More than a decade ago, Clayton Christensen's breakthrough book The Innovator's Dilemma illustrated how disruptive innovations drive industry transformation and market creation. Christensen's research demonstrated how growth-seeking incumbents must develop the capability to deflect disruptive attacks and seize disruptive opportunities.
In The Innovator's Guide to Growth, Scott Anthony, Mark Johnson, Joseph Sinfield, and Elizabeth Altman take the subject to the next level: implementation. The authors explain how to create this crucial capability for unlocking disruption's transformational power.
With a foreword by Christensen, this book provides a set of market-proven tools and approaches to innovation that have been honed through fieldwork with innovative companies like Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Pepsi, Intel, Motorola, SAP, and Cisco Systems. The book shows you how to:
Follow a market-proven process -- so your company can reliably create blockbuster businessesCreate structures, systems, and metrics -- so the disruptive innovations that will power your firm's future growth receive the funding and personnel needed to succeed Create a common language of disruptive innovation -- so managers can reach consensus around counterintuitive courses of action
Incisive and practical, this book helps your company take the steps necessary to benefit from disruption -- instead of being eclipsed by it.
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The Horticulture of Innovation September 25, 2008
The last time I checked, Amazon offers 53,570 books on the subject of innovation in business. So, what do the authors of this book offer that is new? In fact, as I intend to indicate, they offer a great deal and much of the credit must be given to Scott Anthony who is a long-time and close associate of Clayton Christensen's and co-author with him of Seeing What's Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change. The author of The Innovator's Dilemma and The Innovator's Solution (with Michael E. Raynor), Christensen wrote the Foreword to this volume in which Anthony and his co-authors (Mark Johnson, Joseph Sinfield, and Elizabeth Altman) explain why and how taking "the right steps and putting in place the right structures can allow managers and entrepreneurs to improve significantly their odds of creating profitable growth businesses. This view contrasts with a prevailing stream of thinking that innovation is random and requires creative genius."
This last sentence caught my eye because I have just read a book by Geoff Colvin, Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else. In Chapter Nine, Colvin suggests that two views characterize what most of us know "that just ain't so" about innovation and creativity. "One is that creative ideas come to us in the way a famous one came to Archimedes, in a eureka moment when everything suddenly becomes clear...The other thing we all think we know about creativity is that it can be inhibited by too much knowledge. We often say that someone is `too close to the problem' to see the solution. The broader principle is that if you know too much about a situation, a business, a field of study, then you can't have the flash of insight that is available only to someone unburdened by a lifetime of immersion in the domain." Colvin's repudiation of both views is best revealed within the narrative, in context. His point is, that great innovators (e.g. those who devise disruptive technologies) aren't burdened by knowledge, they're nourished by it. For them (with very rare exception), innovation doesn't strike, it grows. Therefore, innovation requires a culture within which to thrive.
In Chapter 1, the authors identify and then discuss three precursors to innovation: a core business that is in control of its current assets, a game plan for growth, and a mastery of the resource allocation process. "The next seven chapters walk [the reader] through a three-step process (i.e. identify market opportunities, formulate and shape innovative ideas, and take ideas forward) to spot and seize a single opportunity. Keep in mind that the central argument of this book is that there are practical and effective ways by which to buck various trends, such as innovative ideas that never gain traction, once-great companies "topple," large companies that survive tend to underperform relative to the market, and conglomerates that seek to diversify to deliver better returns tend to be worth less than the sum of their parts. Paradoxically, or so it seems to me, innovative thinking requires order, structure, stability, and support (i.e. an infrastructure) so that it has the freedom and flexibility to challenge conventional thinking, the status quo, what James O'Toole so aptly characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." If Colvin is correct (and I think he is), innovation is a process, not an event. This point reminds me of a scene in Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, when one of the characters confides that his company went bankrupt. "How did it happen?" someone asks. "Slowly, then suddenly."
After providing a "Disruptive Innovation Model" with a brief explanation (Figure 1-2 on Pages 17-18), the authors carefully organize their material as follows:
Part One: Identify Opportunities (e.g. nonconsumers, overshot customers, and jobs to be done)
Part Two: Formulate and Shape Ideas (e.g. development of disruptive ideas and assessment of a strategy's fit with a pattern)
Part Three: Build the Business (i.e. mastering emergent strategies as well as assembling and managing project teams)
Part Four: Build Capabilities (e.g. "organize to innovate" and formulate innovation metrics)
Then in the final chapter, "Conclusion," the authors review several key points and then briefly discuss ten "key innovation traps" (six that are project-related, such as "Pursuing unattainable perfection," and four that are company-related, such as "Too many lingering projects") and then review a series of lessons to be learned from innovation initiatives at Procter & Gamble. (Note: Those with a keen interest in those initiatives should check out The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation co-authored by A.G. Lafley and Ram Charan.) The authors conclude the chapter with their "Final Words of Wisdom," eight guiding axioms suggested by the extensive research and intensive field work that led to their writing of this book. I especially like #8, "Devil's advocates are abundant, problem solvers are scarce."
Readers will appreciate the authors' brilliant use of reader-friendly devices throughout their narrative, such as check lists of key points and dozens of "Figures," "Tools," and "Tables" which present remarkably abundant information within an easy-to-read graphic. Also at the conclusion of most chapters, "Application Exercises" and "Tips and Tricks" sections that will help readers to take appropriate, effective action on the information and suggestions previously presented. Of special interest to me were there:
Table 2-1, "Summary of constraints on consumption," Page 60
Tool 4-1, "Jobs scoring sheet," Page 106
Figure 4-3, "Identifying opportunities from different starting points," Page 109
Tool 5-1, "The idea Resume," Page 129
Table 6-1, "Conditions for success," Pages 149-150
Table 6-2, "Disrupt-o-Meter, Pages 156-157
Table 9-1, "innovation challenges and structures," Page 228
Tool 9-1, "Application Exercise: Assessing your innovation environment," Page 239
The authors conclude with these observations: "We believe that the concept of innovation is in transition between a theory of random trial and error and perfectly predictable paint-by-numbers rules. We think of this transitional period as the `era of pattern recognition.' This book described patterns related to spotting opportunities, developing ideas, building businesses, and creating capabilities. Using its tools and frameworks will allow you to see what others cannot [e.g. to `see what's next'], to find order where others find chaos, and to create new growth opportunities again and again." Well said.
I presume to add one other perspective. Think of an innovative organization as a "nursery" where trees thrive and flowers blossom because they are planted in nutrient rich soil and receive constant nurturing. Seedlings are not pulled up "to see how well they're doing." And when necessary, there is pruning to protect growth. Extending the metaphor, the information and counsel the authors of this book provide can help each reader to develop a "green thumb." Producing a harvest is up to you.
Making innovation a regular part of your organization... July 19, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've read a number of books on innovation, both on a personal and business level. Always looking to find that "edge"... In the book The Innovator's Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work by Scott D. Anthony, Mark W. Johnson, Joseph V. Sinfield, and Elizabeth J. Altman, the authors present a methodology for making disruptive innovation part of your company's culture. Along the way, I had my thoughts twisted a bit as to how best to disrupt the standard playing field, while not going head-to-head with the giants right from the beginning...
Contents:
Introduction: Your Guide to Growth; Precursors to Innovation
Part 1 - Identify Opportunities: Identifying Nonconsumers; Identifying Overshot Customers; Identifying Jobs to Be Done
Part 2 - Formulate and Shape Ideas: Developing Disruptive Ideas; Assessing a Strategy's Fit with a Pattern
Part 3 - Build the Business: Mastering Emergent Strategies; Assembling and Managing Project Teams
Part 4 - Build Capabilities: Organizing to Innovate; Innovation Metrics
Conclusion
Appendix - Frequently Asked Questions; Notes; Index; About the Authors
As you can tell from the list of chapters, the authors cover everything from identifying ideas and potential products that would be disruptive clear through to the end where you have a formal organization that can grow and repeat successes in that area. Given their experience in the field, you avoid making mistakes that are all too common and sound correct, but end up being wrong. For instance, companies have a tendency to throw massive amounts of resources and capital behind a new idea or product that will "revolutionize the industry". The problem is that everyone becomes committed to the initial design and plan, and no thought is given to learning and prototyping along the way. The end result is often a product that completely misses the mark in terms of what people want. But by then, so many millions have been sunk into the design that you can't easily go back. The book instead advocates for quick trials and cheap prototypes without large amounts of funding. That forces creativity and smaller experiments, and permits course changes along the way. Only after you get actual feedback do you commit larger resources to it. But by then, you should know the outcome or have a solid idea as to market acceptance.
For me, I was most interested in the first part of the book. The concept of "overshot customers" was one I hadn't heard of in quite those terms. These are the people who don't need or can't use all the high-end performance built into the product(s) being offered, and are actually looking for something far less. To them, "less" becomes "perfect". Why pay for 100% of a product when all you really need is 10% of it? The other 90% is of no use to you. This is also linked to the concept of "nonconsumers". These are the people who don't use your product (or any product being offered) due to constraints of skill, wealth, access, or time. If you can identify these consumers and serve them, you have an entry into the market that can disrupt the incumbents. Finally, I was also intrigued by the concept of "jobs to be done". It's the adage of "people don't buy drills, they buy holes". If you rethink your product as a service that people are hiring you to do, then you can think beyond the boundaries. An example would be the lowly mop. Not much to do differently there. But if you think that people are hiring you (the mop maker) to clean the house, then you look at the product differently. In this case, it led to the Swiffer line of dust mop accessories. Less effort, easier cleanup, and the job is done more quickly. Hence, people "hire" your product as the superior choice. Interesting concepts...
This is a book that deserves to be sitting on the shelf of management in all companies. Actually, it shouldn't be on the shelf. It should be in the briefcases and backpacks being read...
The book on implemeting disruptive innovation July 18, 2008
So Geoffrey Moore has the Chasm Companion. Now the field of innovative disruption so clearly identified by Clayton Christensen has its own implementation book. Like anything put out by Innosight, Christensen's consulting company, the book is thorough from end to end. If you read nothing else you must read the Summary and FAQs at the end. I read it in two lengthy sittings. It is a fascinating read that starts out talking to established companies like P&G , Intel and RIM. Then it hits its stride and the implementation guides, examples, templates and resources are useful for every company. Yes even start-ups.
IMHO anyone working in tech should have read and review this book, But I am a fan of Christensen's work , and if everyone followed his ideas, there would be less work for my consulting firm. The book is full of great case studies Swiffer, Wii, Skype, YouTube, Metro newspapers, ITunes, Whitestrips, Adwords, eBay. Some great lines. " Medical device cos commoditze doctors". " Look for people with the right school of experience - What problems could arise? Who has encountered these problems?" "What job is the client needing done? "
accessible and practical July 3, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
As a small business owner I was not sure this book would be relevant for the clientele I serve. I couldn't be more wrong! The book is written in an accessible and easy to understand way, and the strategies are easy to employ. The Innovator's Guide is a book I keep on my desk and refer to again and again. The book contains a wealth of practical tips that I have used to help my business grow! It especially helped us think about how to build the capabilities to innovate more reliably and set management expectations.
I found the entirety of the book practical and applicable, and highly recommend it to any executive or executive team member in both small and large businesses.
 A great strategic guidebook for innovation May 29, 2008
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I had the good fortune to meet Scott Anthony and some of the co-authors of The Innovator's Guide to Growth at the Front End of Innovation conference last week. This book presents a number of the concepts from the Christensen series (Innovator's Dilemma, Innovator's Solution, etc) in an approachable, step by step methodology for implementation. In that manner, this book and my book (Make us more Innovative: Critical Factors for Innovation Success) are great companions, since The Innovator's Guide is really focused more on the strategic aspects of understanding how to deploy an innovation capability and align those strategies to corporate goals, while Make us more Innovative is written to detail how to build a complete innovation capability. But enough about my book.
I really liked The Innovator's Guide to Growth because it attempts to take all the great concepts about innovation and break them down into an actual guide that an innovator could follow to bring more innovation to his or her company. This book has a lot of good templates, forms and examples to help a nascent innovation leader define the innovation intent and goals and convince the management team to engage in an ongoing program of innovation.
The book is breaks down into five sections: precursors to innovation, identifying opportunities, formulating and shaping ideas, building the business and supporting systems and structures. Key points from each section:
* A firm can't innovate successfully until it's house is in control and a good game plan is in place
* Many innovation opportunities exist in "nonconsumers" (think the unbanked or un-insured) or in situations where products and services "overmeet" the needs of customers (think Southwest in airlines)
* The chapters on identifying ideas spend a significant amount of time on defining the "jobs" that people want to complete - again harking back to Christensen's books and to the concept of Outcome-Driven innovation which has also been popularized by Strategyn.
* Developing and shaping ideas focuses on refining ideas and targeting opportunities using a strategy map borrowed from Blue Ocean strategy and using innovation techniques such as ideation sessions, analogies and internal and external submissions
* I felt the chapter on assembling and managing project teams was fairly strong and identified a number of good points, especially on the interactions between an innovation team and the executive team, and the innovation team and the rest of the organization
* The chapter on innovation metrics should be must reading for any innovation program
This book takes it's primary focus as disruptive innovation and does not spend much, if any time on any other innovations. It does have a broad definition of the outcomes of innovation (products, services and business models) and does note that many times the most disruptive and most defensible innovation is a business model innovation. It is an especially good book for an executive team that needs to understand how to build an innovation capability and set the appropriate expectations.
There are a few quibbles I have with the book, however. The first two thirds of the book are really loaded with good advice, templates and forms and case studies. Somewhere in the late middle of the book, where the book begins to address refining ideas and building the innovation team, the book begins to become more theoretical and less practical. For example, what kinds of people or skill sets are better or worse for an innovation team? Should innovation be a centralized or decentralized capability? What are the best idea generation methods? What should an innovation process or methodology look like? What are the roles and responsibilities within innovation? These questions are addressed obliquely, if at all, and important topics like rewards and recognition and corporate culture are not addressed at all. Perhaps the team assumed these items are already addressed if the firm has decided to become more innovative.
While I have a number of concerns with the book as a practical methodology for deploying an innovation capability, I can wholeheartedly recommend the book, especially the first six chapters which focus on the alignment of innovation to corporate strategy and intent, and chapter eight, which is about building and managing innovation teams. I think that the segue in the middle and last third of the book from practical advice, templates and forms to more theoretical advice may align to the fact that the actual deployment of these programs is subject to many more variables, but I would have expected a bit more detail in the chapters on organizing to innovate. I will point out that chapter ten on innovation metrics, while a bit short, is an excellent overview and mirrors a lot of good advice on building innovation metrics and the expectations around innovation returns.
This book definitely belongs on the shelf of any executive considering an innovation program or initiative, and on the desk of any innovation leader. This is cross-posted from my blog Innovate on Purpose.
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