The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy That Fosters New Ideas [Hardcover]

Elaine Dundon (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814471463 | ISBN-13: 978-0814471463 | Publication Date: June 15, 2002 | Edition: 1

This is a practical guide to getting profitable and strategic creative contributions from every employee.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a remarkable book...filled with a wealth of actionable insights into how to inspire and manage innovation...a must-read." -- Innovation Tools, May 2003

"...an easy read...a good synthesis of tools, checklists, and examples...readers will find this book worth their while." -- Journal of Product Development and Innovation Management, 2003

"...provides some arresting ideas for those who want to draw inspiration from the workplace." -- Financial Executive

"...wealth of insights and advice...most sensible, straightforward, and usable tools...to come my way in quite some time." -- The Futurist, March/April 2003

"One of the Top 10 Business Reads" -- The Globe and Mail, December 11, 2002

"This is a clear-headed book that explains innovation in practical terms." -- The Globe and Mail, September 2002

"usable tool for effective change-making to come my way in quite some time I recommend it." -- Futurist, Lane Jennings April 2003

..breaks down the barriers of conventional thinking, helping readers embrace a superior level of innovation that business leaders crave -- BIZLIFE, November 2002

Clear-headed book that explains innovation in practical terms and offers a sensible formate for building innovation in your workplace. -- Toronto, Ontario Globe & Mail, Sept. 4, 2002

Book Description

Breakthrough innovation is a prerequisite for success in almost any organization, yet the actual management of innovation has only recently begun to receive the attention it deserves. Here, innovation thought leader Elaine Dundon offers a ""how-to"" prescription for building creative and strategic innovation skills at all levels of an organization (rather than focusing on decision-making levels only) -- and explains how to produce measurable results that translate directly to the bottom line.

Using field-tested concepts and practical examples, and featuring easy-to-apply processes and concrete thinking tools, this straight-talking book provides a broadly applicable guide to innovation -- one that’s not limited to a specific industry sector. Today’s most comprehensive, one-stop innovation resource, it describes:

* The three necessary components of innovation -- creative, strategic, and transformational thinking

* Methods for applying innovative thought to existing products, processes, and business models

* 90 great innovations and 90 trends to consider

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1 edition (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814471463
• ISBN-13: 978-0814471463
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant, Practical, Good Tool, July 12, 2003

By 

Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy That Fosters New Ideas (Hardcover)

Innovate or stagnate. Or, put another way, innovate or stand helplessly and watch your competitors eat your lunch! Wise leaders stimulate, encourage, reinforce, and reward innovation. If you're not doing this in your organization, now is the time to start...and this book will show you the path.

The book is organized into three parts: The Seeds of Creative Thinking, The Seeds of Strategic Thinking, and The Seeds of Transformational Thinking. Dundon, a consultant and speaker on innovation, takes us out of the proverbial box. The process starts with an introductory chapter that delivers an introduction to innovation management. In this presentation, the author sets the stage nicely for the value of the balance of the book.

Each aspect of thinking is essential to making a difference in an organization. Dundon explains the what, the why, the how, and provides examples in a very instructive text. Each chapter addresses skills and strategies to generate creativity, a strategic approach (big picture and visionary), and practical how-to ideas to support innovation in organizational settings. Reading the chapters alone is worthwhile, but we're not done yet. Following the eleven chapters are five appendices, a recommended reading list, and an index.

The appendices provide an explanation of the nine step innovation process, a list of probing questions to energize innovative thinking, 99 innovations and 99 trends. Readers will find it valuable to go through the list of trends and consider their influence on how their organization does business...and will do business in the future. As a futurist by profession, I can vouch for this being a comprehensive and highly usable list. The additional criteria section, while not too long, offers even more thought-provoking insights to check your work, stimulate more discussion, and refine the product of your synergistic thinking.

Readers will find this book valuable as a cover-to-cover read, but then highly effective as a tool to achieve significant results.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely and well written - Dundon reveals real insight, July 16, 2002

By 

Jack G. Peterson (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy That Fosters New Ideas (Hardcover)

The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy that Fosters New Ideas comes at a critical time in the quest for new ideas and breakthrough efficiencies by corporations, small businesses, universities and governments.

It is a tour de force of how to inspire and manage innovation. And this is the great value of Elaine Dundon's work -- she presents "how" to inspire and manage innovation based on real experience and valuable research. I highly recommend this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is needed NOW, more than ever!, December 9, 2004

By 

Dr. Meaning (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy That Fosters New Ideas (Hardcover)

Dundon makes it clear that "innovation" is not the same thing as creativity. Importantly, she establishes that the work of innovation requires <u>discipline</u> with an explicit focus on results. Indeed, her book should be required reading by anyone who is serious about personal and organizational performance. In a very practical and readable way, The Seeds of Innovation provides essential guidance for dealing with change while adding value on a sustainable basis. It's about time that someone demonstrated how real innovation can and does work! Now it's time to plant, cultivate, and harvest the "seeds of innovation" by reading and practicing the essential wisdom in Elaine Dundon's book!