How Innovation Works and Eat, Sleep, Innovate

HOW INNOVATION WORKS is written by Matt Ridley, a member of the House of Lords and an award-winning author (The Evolution of Everything). His new text actually speaks to the flywheel concept that Dumaine raised in Bezonomics when Ridley points out that “innovation is potentially infinite because even if it runs out of new things to do, it can always find ways to do the same things more quickly or for less energy.” Ridley provides an engaging read by illustrating innovation (“turning ideas into practical, reliable and affordable reality”) across history and a range of fields (Energy, Public Health, Transport, Food, and so forth).  He then explores patterns in those stories and argues that innovation “Flourishes in Freedom” while devoting a chapter each to innovation’s Essentials, Economics, and Failures, and finally concluding with sections on Resistance to Innovation and Innovation Famine. This is a very readable text and is full of facts, often amusing stories, and relatable explanations, such as “the genius of the Wright brothers was precisely that they realized they were in an incremental, iterative process and did not expect to build a flying machine at the first attempt.” Teachers will appreciate that Ridley emphasizes the value of traits like trial and error and collaboration. Students with interest in the STEM fields will especially enjoy HOW INNOVATION WORKS which received a starred review from Kirkus.

 

EAT, SLEEP, INNOVATE, by Scott D. Anthony, Paul Cobban, Natalie Painchaud and Andy Parker, is forthcoming this Fall from Harvard Business Review Press. Cobban is based in Singapore working for DBS Bank and the other three authors are executives with the growth-strategy consulting firm Innosight. They collaborated to explore “How to Make Creativity an Everyday Habit Inside Your Organization” and the text has a slightly playful, irreverent tone, perhaps meant to reinforce the idea of creative freedom, which is fun at first.  I loved the footnote that includes: “And hello, footnote reader. We are glad to have you with us.” It does wear after a bit, though, as they actually recognize when another footnote says, “we’re going to stop doing this soon.” Overall, there are plenty of serious suggestions to help businesses. In Part I (over four chapters with three companion case studies), they lay out a series of definitions, discuss why organizations struggle with innovation, and then introduce and explain the idea of BEANS (behavior enablers, artifacts, and nudges).  Part II, filled with “tips, tricks and tools” focuses on the more practical application. In an appendix, they also provide a “Culture of Innovation Bookshelf” with titles they consider most influential. While a bit jargon-y, it is a luxury to stretch one’s brain and spend time with this text. It is certainly relevant; as the authors point out, “uncertainly increases the need for innovation.” Visit their website plus pick up EAT, SLEEP, INNOVATE if you are looking for ideas about how to make innovation more of a “habit of mind” and daily focus.