From the Inside Flap
"We've all been there. The pivotal meeting where you push forward a new idea or proposal you're passionate about. A fast-paced discussion leads to an upwelling of support that seems about to reach critical mass. And then, in one disastrous moment, your hopes are dashed when someone weighs in with those fateful words: '"Let me just play Devil's Advocate for a minute . . .'
"What's truly astonishing is how much punch is packed into that simple nine-word phrase. In fact, the Devil's Advocate may be the biggest innovation killer in America today . . .
"Why should you care? And why do we at IDEO believe this problem is so important? Because innovation is the lifeblood of all organizations . . . Today, companies are viewed less for their current offerings than for their ability to change and adapt and dream up something new. Whether you sell consumer electronics or financial services, the frequency with which you must innovate and replenish your offerings is rapidly increasing.
""The Ten Faces of Innovation is a book about innovation with a human face. It's about the individuals and teams that fuel innovation inside great organizations. Because all great movements are ultimately human-powered, the innovation personas described in this book each bring its own lever, its own tools, its own skills, its own point of view. And when someone combines energy and intelligence with the right lever, they can generate a remarkably powerful force. Together you can do extraordinary things"
-from "The Ten Faces of Innovation
The author of the bestselling "The Art of Innovation reveals the strategies IDEO, the world-famous design firm, uses to foster innovative thinking throughout anorganization and overcome the naysayers who stifle creativity.
The role of the devil's advocate is nearly universal in business today. It allows individuals to step outside themselves and raise questions and concerns that effectively kill new projects and ideas, while claiming no personal responsibility. Nothing is more potent in stifling innovation, Kelley claims.
Over the years, IDEO has developed ten roles people can play in an organization to foster innovation and new ideas while offering an effective counter to naysayers. Among these approaches are the A"nthropologist--the person who goes into the field to see how customers use and respond to products, to come up with new innovations; the" Cross-pollinator who mixes and matches ideas, people, and technology to create new ideas that can drive growth; and the" Hurdler, who instantly looks for ways to overcome the limits and challenges to any situation.
Filled with engaging stories of how Kraft, Procter and Gamble, Safeway and the Mayo Clinic have incorporated IDEO's thinking to transform the customer experience, THE TEN FACES OF INNOVATION is an extraordinary guide to nurturing and sustaining a culture of continuous innovation and renewal.
TOM KELLEY is a partner at IDEO, and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation and Creative Confidence.
JONATHAN LITTMAN is the author of several books on business, crime, and sport. He is the founder of Snowball Narrative and SmartUp.life, and was previously a contributing editor at
Playboy.
