The high velocity global economy of today drives rapid consumer, business, industrial and marketplace change. The fast paced world around us is relentless and unforgiving. It drives increased customer and business partner expectations, requires faster innovation, and necessitates a faster more complex response to rapidly changing circumstances. That's why you need to learn how to innovate when faster is the new fast - by getting into a mindset where you're prepared to figure out a solution to a problem, almost before you know you have a problem. Ready, Set, Done provides unique insight into how to innovate when faster is the new fast Velocity: you'll understand the rapid change that increasingly drives our world, and why it's critical to constantly innovate in order to keep ahead Agility: You'll learn how organizations ensuring they can respond to fast-changing circumstances Innovation: you'll gain insight into how innovation can apply to everything you do, every day Activity: you'll learn what you should start doing now to elevate the importance of your innovation efforts.
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About the Author
When the Walt Disney Corporation went looking for an expert on the topic of innovation and creativity, they went with Jim Carroll! Jim is a strategic thinker and "thought leader" with deep insight into trends, the future, creativity, and innovation. For the last fifteen years, he has provided high energy keynotes for audiences of up to 3,000 people, and intimate, detailed customized strategic planning insight for CEO / board / senior management meetings. He was recently named by Business Week as one of four leading sources for insight on innovation and creativity, and was a featured expert on the prime time CNBC series, "The Business of Innovation." Jim's client base includes Nestle, Motorola, the American Society for Quality, Caterpillar, Verizon, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Property and Casualty Insurance Association of America, and the Swiss Innovation Forum, to name but a few.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The author is a professional keynote speaker and, contrary to what the "About the Author" section suggests, no one pays him for his supposedly thoughtful insights into innovation, he is rather paid for being able to just talk about innovation in an interesting way at conferences and such. These skills are probably enough for a 60-minute keynote speech, however, when he tries to write a book, maybe he ends up with some very interesting talking points, but other than that there is little essence. After reading the first 20 pages, I just skimmed the rest and read only the bolded text and, believe me, I did not loose anything. Maybe his comments on innovation can be interesting for an average layman, but for anyone who is professionally involved in technology, engineering or science they are going to be trivial. Finally, can you take seriously a guy who predicts that cars in the future will be driven using a joystick, based on the story when his little son called a gear stick "a joystick"?
By Derek S Ames
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This quick read is lighter in process specifics and is heavier in the corporate behavioral attributes that are most likely present for a company to be innovation-oriented.
This book will get your feet wet enough to understand the innovation push. It may help you recognize whether your present company is ready to take on innovation as a mindset or whether the appropriate behaviors and mentalities seem to be in place if you are seeking employment at an innovative company.
This book will get your feet wet enough to understand the innovation push. It may help you recognize whether your present company is ready to take on innovation as a mindset or whether the appropriate behaviors and mentalities seem to be in place if you are seeking employment at an innovative company.
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you love Tom Peters' work just like I do, this author will not disappoint you for a change!
November 5, 2008
By Lee Say Keng
Format:Paperback
'Ready, Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast', by Jim Carroll;
'Change' & 'innovation' are seemingly two most commonly used (or abused?) buzz words in the corporate world, which, from my perspective, readily capture the essence of the challenges faced by all of us today.
The subject of 'change' - agility & flexibility in dealing with a world turned upside down - & 'innovation' - doing things differently to survive & thrive - have continued to fascinate me for many years.
I have read a lot about the subject, & I am also always on the constant lookout for more new perspectives. Hence, to my pleasant delight, I have stumbled upon the work of futurist, trends & innovation expert Jim Carroll on the net.
Through Amazon, I have managed to acquire - & then read in earnest about a couple of months ago - his two books, namely, 'What I learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation' (2004) & 'Ready, Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast' (2007).
Since the first book has already been reviewed by me on Amazon, I am now reviewing the second book here.
Backed by reportedly impeccable credentials from the big boys, e.g. American Express, Disney, IBM, Microsoft, & acknowledged by 'BusinessWeek' as a thought leader, the author writes almost like corporate skunk Tom Peters - "screwing people's mind . . . taking them to the brink & then pulling them back", to paraphrase Tom Peters.
As a matter of fact, I reckon, at least from my perspective, his writings more or less emulate my other favourite authors on 'Change' & 'Innovation', Robert Kriegel, Louis Patler, Price Pritchett, all rolled into one - short, staccato bursts of energetic prescriptions, occasionally outrageous & yet written succinctly, with enchanting anecdotes & provocative examples from real-world events, in contrast to the staid academic texts of the time.
Having said that, let me get down to the specifics of my overall response of the two books.
In a nut shell, I must say that there are a lot of interesting stuff in the two books, but they are not necessarily unfamiliar or essentially new to most well-read businesspeople:
e.g. "65% of pre-school children today will be employed in careers & jobs that don't yet exist"; "most people will find themselves not only in 4 or 5 different jobs in their lifetime, but in 4 or 5 different careers"; "the 1/2 life of an engineer 's knowledge is about 5 years";
although as one reads from page to page, one can easily get that little jolt, & then seriously reflect on what the author is talking about.
In fact, I must also bring reader's immediate attention to the fact that much of what he has to say in the two books is made somewhat more compelling, when his astute observations of the marketspace are viewed critically as called by the author.
What I like about the two books after perusal is that one can readily open up any page, anywhere in the two books, read for a few minutes, & actually gain some new perspectives from the reading experience.
In fact, that's how I have enjoyed reading the two books, one bite at a time, over a few weeks, some time ago, because I always have this ingrained habit of reading several books by different authors in one go.
From the intellectual standpoint, I consider the second book as a follow-up of the first book.
This time the focus of the second book is on building what the author calls 'high-velocity change leadership' in a fast-paced world.
In this book, he author provides unique insights into how to innovate faster, with multi-skill talent or creative ingenuity as well as project agility to serve as key cornerstones.
As he puts it, "Forget about the concept of innovation as simply involving the design of cool new products. In the high-velocity economy, where faster is the new fast, it's your ability to adapt, change, & evolve, through a constant flood of new ideas, that will define your potential for success."
Apparently for reader's convenience, the author has skillfully organised all his relevant stuff under four over-arching tactical segments:
- 'velocity' (with 8 sub-segments);
- 'agility' (with 6 sub-segments);
- 'innovation' (with 11 sub-segments);
- 'activity' (with 8 sub-segments); [Frankly, I would have thought that the more appropriate label here should have been 'execution' or even 'action-mindedness', since he describes "what you should start doing now to elevate the importance of your innovation efforts"];
Rather than dwelling on what's all in the book, I will share with readers about what I have taken away from the book:
- 'Take the 10 Things Test' (pg 29-34) - Essentially sit in a room, whether at work, home or in a factory, retail store or wherever you might be, & take a look around. Compile a list of 10 items that you see, & then sit back & ask yourself, "How might these things change in the next decade?"
If you really took the time to think about the items you examine, you might be very surprised by the depth of the change that is coming;
[This is certainly a very interesting exercise, & I will share my own little experiment in a separate post!]
- '10 Unique Characteristics of 21st Century Skills' (pg 67-71);
- 'Just in Time Knowledge' (pg 79-82);
- 'How Can You Identify Areas/Opportunities for Innovation' (pg 109-112
[As the author's treatment here is a broad-brush, I suggest reading Michel Robert's 'Innovation Formula'. Please refer to my earlier review on Amazon.]
- '21st Century Capital' (pg 141-144);
- 'Is It Time for an Innovation Audit?' (pg 149-152);
[This one is really cool!]
- 'Focus on Developing your Masters in Business Imagination' (pg 169-173);
[as opposed to the traditional MBA. To be frank, this is a really good & refreshing one!]
Although I have singled out these few sub-segments, I just want to point out this doesn't mean that the other sub-segments are not worth reading about.
I note that the author's closing 10+1 'Great Words' for everyday use in the workplace, as transformational grammar to help you get into the right frame of mind, namely [words in brackets are extracted by me for the author's descriptions]:
- Observe (trends);
- Think (to learn);
- Change (routines);
- Dare (to risk);
- Banish (killer phrases)
- Try [The author should have used 'Experiment'; Try? No try; Do! or Do Not! Remember, the Star Wars movie, 'The Empire Strikes Back'];
- Empower (everybody);
- Question (assumptions);
- Grow (by grabbing opportunities);
- Do (to renew);
- Enjoy (your passion);
is undoubtedly an excellent & timely way to return to his earlier book. He sums up his proposition from the very beginning, during which he argues about mind frame change as a prerequisite to forward-thinking:
"Rapid times require bold change; action is critical. Confront your tin cans (another of his metaphors for "stuck in the rut", e.g. 'aggressive indecision'), & you've got the right leadership frame of mind to take you into the future."
Incidentally, just for the fun of it, I would suggest readers to compare the foregoing 10+1 action verbs with the 26 action verbs from futurist Frank Feather's 'Futuristic Leadership A-Z'. Please refer to my earlier review on Amazon.
If you love Tom Peters' work just like I do, I am confident that Jim Carroll will not disappoint you for a change. The latter is equally provocative & vibrant in his writing.
Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, November 2008
'Change' & 'innovation' are seemingly two most commonly used (or abused?) buzz words in the corporate world, which, from my perspective, readily capture the essence of the challenges faced by all of us today.
The subject of 'change' - agility & flexibility in dealing with a world turned upside down - & 'innovation' - doing things differently to survive & thrive - have continued to fascinate me for many years.
I have read a lot about the subject, & I am also always on the constant lookout for more new perspectives. Hence, to my pleasant delight, I have stumbled upon the work of futurist, trends & innovation expert Jim Carroll on the net.
Through Amazon, I have managed to acquire - & then read in earnest about a couple of months ago - his two books, namely, 'What I learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation' (2004) & 'Ready, Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast' (2007).
Since the first book has already been reviewed by me on Amazon, I am now reviewing the second book here.
Backed by reportedly impeccable credentials from the big boys, e.g. American Express, Disney, IBM, Microsoft, & acknowledged by 'BusinessWeek' as a thought leader, the author writes almost like corporate skunk Tom Peters - "screwing people's mind . . . taking them to the brink & then pulling them back", to paraphrase Tom Peters.
As a matter of fact, I reckon, at least from my perspective, his writings more or less emulate my other favourite authors on 'Change' & 'Innovation', Robert Kriegel, Louis Patler, Price Pritchett, all rolled into one - short, staccato bursts of energetic prescriptions, occasionally outrageous & yet written succinctly, with enchanting anecdotes & provocative examples from real-world events, in contrast to the staid academic texts of the time.
Having said that, let me get down to the specifics of my overall response of the two books.
In a nut shell, I must say that there are a lot of interesting stuff in the two books, but they are not necessarily unfamiliar or essentially new to most well-read businesspeople:
e.g. "65% of pre-school children today will be employed in careers & jobs that don't yet exist"; "most people will find themselves not only in 4 or 5 different jobs in their lifetime, but in 4 or 5 different careers"; "the 1/2 life of an engineer 's knowledge is about 5 years";
although as one reads from page to page, one can easily get that little jolt, & then seriously reflect on what the author is talking about.
In fact, I must also bring reader's immediate attention to the fact that much of what he has to say in the two books is made somewhat more compelling, when his astute observations of the marketspace are viewed critically as called by the author.
What I like about the two books after perusal is that one can readily open up any page, anywhere in the two books, read for a few minutes, & actually gain some new perspectives from the reading experience.
In fact, that's how I have enjoyed reading the two books, one bite at a time, over a few weeks, some time ago, because I always have this ingrained habit of reading several books by different authors in one go.
From the intellectual standpoint, I consider the second book as a follow-up of the first book.
This time the focus of the second book is on building what the author calls 'high-velocity change leadership' in a fast-paced world.
In this book, he author provides unique insights into how to innovate faster, with multi-skill talent or creative ingenuity as well as project agility to serve as key cornerstones.
As he puts it, "Forget about the concept of innovation as simply involving the design of cool new products. In the high-velocity economy, where faster is the new fast, it's your ability to adapt, change, & evolve, through a constant flood of new ideas, that will define your potential for success."
Apparently for reader's convenience, the author has skillfully organised all his relevant stuff under four over-arching tactical segments:
- 'velocity' (with 8 sub-segments);
- 'agility' (with 6 sub-segments);
- 'innovation' (with 11 sub-segments);
- 'activity' (with 8 sub-segments); [Frankly, I would have thought that the more appropriate label here should have been 'execution' or even 'action-mindedness', since he describes "what you should start doing now to elevate the importance of your innovation efforts"];
Rather than dwelling on what's all in the book, I will share with readers about what I have taken away from the book:
- 'Take the 10 Things Test' (pg 29-34) - Essentially sit in a room, whether at work, home or in a factory, retail store or wherever you might be, & take a look around. Compile a list of 10 items that you see, & then sit back & ask yourself, "How might these things change in the next decade?"
If you really took the time to think about the items you examine, you might be very surprised by the depth of the change that is coming;
[This is certainly a very interesting exercise, & I will share my own little experiment in a separate post!]
- '10 Unique Characteristics of 21st Century Skills' (pg 67-71);
- 'Just in Time Knowledge' (pg 79-82);
- 'How Can You Identify Areas/Opportunities for Innovation' (pg 109-112
[As the author's treatment here is a broad-brush, I suggest reading Michel Robert's 'Innovation Formula'. Please refer to my earlier review on Amazon.]
- '21st Century Capital' (pg 141-144);
- 'Is It Time for an Innovation Audit?' (pg 149-152);
[This one is really cool!]
- 'Focus on Developing your Masters in Business Imagination' (pg 169-173);
[as opposed to the traditional MBA. To be frank, this is a really good & refreshing one!]
Although I have singled out these few sub-segments, I just want to point out this doesn't mean that the other sub-segments are not worth reading about.
I note that the author's closing 10+1 'Great Words' for everyday use in the workplace, as transformational grammar to help you get into the right frame of mind, namely [words in brackets are extracted by me for the author's descriptions]:
- Observe (trends);
- Think (to learn);
- Change (routines);
- Dare (to risk);
- Banish (killer phrases)
- Try [The author should have used 'Experiment'; Try? No try; Do! or Do Not! Remember, the Star Wars movie, 'The Empire Strikes Back'];
- Empower (everybody);
- Question (assumptions);
- Grow (by grabbing opportunities);
- Do (to renew);
- Enjoy (your passion);
is undoubtedly an excellent & timely way to return to his earlier book. He sums up his proposition from the very beginning, during which he argues about mind frame change as a prerequisite to forward-thinking:
"Rapid times require bold change; action is critical. Confront your tin cans (another of his metaphors for "stuck in the rut", e.g. 'aggressive indecision'), & you've got the right leadership frame of mind to take you into the future."
Incidentally, just for the fun of it, I would suggest readers to compare the foregoing 10+1 action verbs with the 26 action verbs from futurist Frank Feather's 'Futuristic Leadership A-Z'. Please refer to my earlier review on Amazon.
If you love Tom Peters' work just like I do, I am confident that Jim Carroll will not disappoint you for a change. The latter is equally provocative & vibrant in his writing.
Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, November 2008
