“Cause a Disturbance” by Ken Tencer and John Paulo Cardoso (Morgan James Publishing, $19.95).
When many business people think of innovation, they think in terms of “the next big thing” in products and services. The authors focus on “process innovation — finding faster, cheaper and better ways to deliver products and services to customers.”
It starts by questioning the status quo — in the form of conventional, convergent thinking. This self-limiting thinking leads to companies: 1. avoiding the development of opportunities because of a perceived lack of resources (time, people, money); and 2. missing opportunities that don’t require complex and expensive changes. Process innovation focuses on what companies can do by “building on what they’re doing right.”
Converting possibility into the reality of continuous improvement requires mastering three “how-tos”:
1. How to foster a culture of entrepreneurial thinking at all levels of the organization. By leveraging the brainpower of employees and adding that of other stakeholders (especially the customer) a firm will never be without ideas.
2. How to “develop a disciplined process that builds on and reinforces the best in your organization: people, products, processes and services.”
3. How to use an iterative process for evaluating and exploiting uncovered opportunities (which often come disguised as obstacles).
To figure out your “how-to” answers, you have to understand what your customers value. What connects them to your core business? Use that answer to figure out how to build existing processes, entrepreneurial culture, disciplined reinforcement and iteration decision making. Based upon the authors’ research and first-hand experience, organizations already have 90 percent of what they need to succeed.
Key takeaway: Innovation isn’t about making choices between this or that. It’s about finding ways to do this and that.
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“Up Your Game: Six Timeless Principles for Networking Your Way to the Top” by David Bradford (Life Science Publishing, $16.99).
Novice networkers fail because of their goal — getting something ASAP. Expecting a casual acquaintance to help you doesn’t work because their referral puts their reputation on the line. If you want someone to vouch for you, they have to know you.
Bradford’s six interrelated “Up Principles” are based upon building and maintaining relationships:
1. Start Up — “What can I do for you?” Help others connect their dots and they’ll help connect yours. The law of reciprocity works.
2. Show Up — “In networking you are the product, and your reputation is your brand.” By making yourself visible at events and online through email, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc., you can share ideas and resources. This creates “top-of-mind awareness” of what you bring to the table.
3. Follow Up — Immediacy and frequency reinforce “top-of-mind awareness.” Find out what interests your contacts and regularly give them information. They’ll think of you as a go-to person.
4. Link Up — Be curious; get involved. Bradford belongs to around 20 LinkedIn professional groups that allow him to converse about “what’s happening” in various industries and professions. It helps him learn while building social capital and his brand.
5. Stand Up — Character counts. “Never engage in any activity in your personal or professional life online or offline that would cause someone to question your honor or character.”
6. Scale Up — It’s hard work making connections and cultivating them. If you think of networking in terms of making time to learn about the different skills people have and add them to your toolkit, the time commitment pays off.
The bottom line: “People can flourish or flounder in their career aspirations based on how they connect, nurture and expand their professional networks.” Bradford’s “Up Principles” show that networking leads to positioning yourself for success.
Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer.
