Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition

Stephen M. Shapiro

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What if almost everything you know about creating a culture of innovation is wrong? What if the way you are measuring innovation is choking it? What if your market research is asking all of the wrong questions?

It's time to innovate the way you innovate.

Stephen Shapiro is one of America's foremost innovation advisrrs, whose methods have helped organizations like Staples, GE, Telefónica, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and USAA. He teaches his clients that innovation isn't just about generating occasional new ideas; it's about staying consistently one step ahead of the competition.

  • Hire people you don't like. Bring in the right mix of people to unleash your team's full potential.
  • Asking for ideas is a bad idea. Define challenges more clearly. If you ask better questions, you will get better answers.
  • Don't think outside the box; find a better box. Instead of giving your employees a blank slate, provide them with well-defined parameters that will increase their creative output.
  • Failure is always an option. Looking at innovation as a series of experiments allows you to redefine failure and learn from your results.

Shapiro shows that nonstop innovation is attainable and vital to building a high-performing team, improving the bottom line, and staying ahead of the pack.

What will you learn from this book

  1. Challenge Conventional Thinking: Shapiro encourages readers to question and challenge conventional wisdom and traditional best practices, emphasizing the need for innovation.

  2. Innovation Mindset: Cultivating an innovation mindset involves embracing change, taking risks, and being open to new and unconventional ideas and methods.

  3. Diversity of Perspectives: Encouraging diverse perspectives and viewpoints within teams leads to more innovative solutions. Shapiro highlights the value of diverse thinking and collaboration.

  4. Experimentation and Iteration: Promoting a culture of experimentation and iteration allows for continuous improvement and innovation. Failure is seen as a stepping stone to success.

  5. Customer-Centric Innovation: The book likely emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and preferences to drive innovation that truly meets market demands.

  6. Unstructured Innovation: Embracing unstructured approaches to innovation encourages creativity. Shapiro advocates for allowing space for unorthodox thinking and exploration.

  7. Flexibility and Adaptability: Being flexible and adaptable in strategies and approaches enables responsiveness to changing market dynamics and customer requirements.

  8. Resource Optimization: Innovating by optimizing existing resources rather than always seeking new resources is a key strategy, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

  9. Collaboration and Networking: Collaborating internally and externally, and networking with diverse individuals and organizations, can lead to fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

  10. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Encouraging continuous learning and improvement fosters a culture of innovation. Shapiro likely emphasizes the value of ongoing education and skill development.

Language English
ISBN-10 1591843855
ISBN-13 9781591843856
No of pages 205
Font Size Medium
Book Publisher penguin
Published Date 29 Sep 2011

About Author

Author : Stephen M. Shapiro

1 Books

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