Innovation's Missing Link [Hardcover]

Al Judge (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

For 23 years prior to his retirement in 2001, Al Judge headed up a New Product Concept Group for Black & Decker. The nature of his job exposed him to all aspects of the business and his time on the Board of Directors of PDMA broadened his perspective of corporate innovation and product development. Significant assignments included the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill and the battery powered products that it birthed. Although he is a member of Mensa, graduated from Johns Hopkins University with honors, and was elected to Tau Beta Pi, his inclinations are more practical than academic. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (February 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425742971
• ISBN-13: 978-1425742973
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,040,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the simplest - & yet packed with battle-proven ideas - books to read about effective 'innovation practices'..., October 23, 2010

By 

Lee Say Keng "KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURER/TECHNOLOGY... (Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Innovation's Missing Link: The Secret to Effortlessly Overcoming Organizational Stagnation (Paperback)

'Innovation's Missing Link: The Secret to Effortlessly Overcoming Organizational Stagnation'
by Al Judge

This is one of the easiest & simplest - & yet still packed with pragmatic battle-proven ideas - books to read about effective 'innovation practices'.

It's also straight-shooting from the author, a 23-year veteran from Black & Decker's New Product Concepts Group, prior to his retirement in 2001, plus subsequent management experience with the PDMA outfit.

If I were to sum up the book, it's all about changing one's mindset, especially from the CEO's perspective, about organisational innovation, failing which, organisational stagnation will fall in place.

In fact, the author had done a superb service to readers [who have no time to read] by consolidating all his entire thoughts outlined in the book on page 15 to 18, under '40 Thoughts on Innovation'.

However, I would recommend reading the book in order to savour the author's action ideas from each chapter, & to learn from other companies' experiences as outlined in their case studies.

Other than the clear treatment on human nature, which is a critical component in the overall innovation process, what I generally like about the book is its exposition of the harsh reality of the innovation landscape, which the author has summed up as follows, especially the first one:

- the nature of organisations is to resist & oppose change;

- innovation cannot thrive with active support from senior management as well as [my words] from everyone in the organisation;

- for optimum results, innovation teams need a special breed of manager [my recommendation: read 'Innovation Leaders: How Senior Executives Stimulate, Steer & Sustain Innovation', by Jean-Philippe Deschamps];

I fully concur with the author: "It takes a lot of guts & a great deal of patience to foster a creative environment."

I also have one interesting thought from the author: "Few people can efficiently create something from nothing, but almost anyone can critique & improve an existing concept."

On the whole, the author's writing is clear, succinct & concise, which makes reading a breeze!

[Review by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, Optimum Performance Technologies, Singapore/Ho Chi Minh City, October 2010;]