Saturday, 5 March 2011

The Innovator's DNA - book by Dyer, Gregerson, Christensen

The Innovator's DNA; Mastering the five skills of disruptive innovators is a book that we really need - right now - as we try to rearrange public services so we reduce costs and improve quality. I hear many people talk innovation but few actually doing it. I also think there are many innovators hidden away in organisations; just because they aren't smart at advertising themselves doesn't mean their abilities shouldn't be harnessed. So be on the look out for the following:


  1. Associating; innovators connect the dots and see patterns between seemingly unrelated topics, tasks and issues
  2. Observing: innovators spot emerging trends long before the formal reviews because they are intense observers of the small details.
  3. Experimenting; innovators try things out - they don't necessarily talk about it or spend their time encouraging others to do it - they test things out themselves
  4. Questioning; innovators can be a pain in the rear because they are curious and because they like discovering new stuff
  5. Networking; it's difficult to spot patterns, notice details and test things out unless you have buddies. Innovators are terrific networkers and often link with others outside what may appear to be "normal" interests. They are also involved with groups outside their employment.
How would you rate yourself on these five categories?

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