Customer Reviews

The Silver Lining: An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked this book. It wasn't particularly long, but it was simple and packed a powerful message for today's business leaders. Innovations a company create are the key to its success. It's innovations that keep existing companies in business. And its innovations that allow startups to get up and running. I found the book to be well organized and well written. Each chapter (9 in total) had a nice little summary which made skimming the book easy before reading it from cover to cover.

For some reason this book made its way to the B&N bookshelves about two or three weeks before its official release date of June 1 per Amazon. I read it back on May 19th along with The Future Arrived Yesterday: The Rise of the Protean Corporation and What It Means for You which I thought was a better book by a little. Both books talk about how business leaders have to stay ahead of their competition and be willing to give the customer what the customer wants, and be able to respond nimbly to change in the economy, the industry, and the market.

Whether change comes about gradually, abruptly in the form of a crisis, or somewhat quickly companies and their leaders need to always be thinking about innovations that can keep them competitive. Usually such innovations relate to some sort of convenience, accessibility, affordability, simplicity, or reinvention. As long as R&D is done strategically rather than haphazardly it shouldn't amount to a black hole for dumping company resources. And the smart and savvy business leader will realize that every forced change usually presents opportunities to be exploited.

The subtitle to this book says it is supposed to be an innovation playbook for uncertain times. I'm not so sure "certain times" ever existed. And I'm pretty much positive that uncertain times are here to stay. So in my humble opinion this book is really an Innovation Playbook - period. I think this book should be required reading for all business leaders and entrepreneurs. 5 stars!

During economic downtimes, most corporate strategists feel like burying their heads in the sand and forgetting about innovating until the storm has passed. Scott D. Anthony recommends doing the opposite. In this fun, practical book on innovation, he explains how to maintain optimistic, entrepreneurial activities - including ongoing innovation - when the going gets tough. However, the lessons that Anthony draws from times of great economic upheaval are useful any time and anywhere. He focuses on the structural, strategic issues surrounding innovation, such as how to plan for it, organize it and make budget cuts in ways that still support it. His material on how to profit by innovating for the low end of the market is particularly apt. getAbstract recommends this accessible, applicable book to leaders who want to innovate now more than ever.

Wow.

This book, in my humble opinion, is all over the lot. On one hand, it has what I consider to be serious scholarship issues -- but on the other hand it's loaded with potentially useful information.

Thumbs down:

I don't think the book meets the high standards I associate with "Harvard Business". To me, the writing is dull and clunky; key concepts aren't sufficiently developed (the word `innovation' isn't even defined); and, many of the ideas I've seen somewhere else before. (Michael Porter's influence is in there, for example, but neither he nor "What is Strategy?" is cited.) Another bone of contention: contrary to what we're led to believe, the book really doesn't have much specifically to do with the current economic downturn.

Thumbs up (the book's silver lining):

At the same time, there's a lot to be applauded -- including the way the whole thing is "macro-organized" according to what business leaders should STOP doing, do DIFFERENTLY, and START doing. Mr. Anthony does a nice job of using this framework to explain what makes the innovation process work. I like his take on the use of *strategic experiments* for improving the process, among several other things.

Explanations are accompanied in each chapter by specific RECOMMENDATIONS (things companies can do to innovate better) in the various forms of step-by-step guides, self-diagnostic tools, checklists, and tips. Not unlike plays a football team might deploy in a game, these are real, practical tools I can envision real business people using.

Final analysis?

Someone was on the right track, I think, to call this a `playbook'. And I think The Silver Lining has the makings to be a FIVE-STAR playbook...but it falls short, it seems to me, because the author chose to try to be everything to everyone and ended up producing a mixed bag instead.

* * * * * * * *

What might nudge it in the five-star direction?

For starters, I'd consider ridding it of b-school buzz words, providing some space for doodling, and finishing it with a laminated cover and Wire-O binding. One Harvard Business blogger suggested earlier this year we should drop-kick the word `innovation' altogether and start talking more in terms of "making good things and creating organizations that reward the types of behaviors that ultimately lead to good ideas coming forward." I'd give that some thought, too.

'The Silver Lining: An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times',
by Scott Anthony;

Frankly, I find it refreshing & illuminating to read the new book entitled 'The Silver Lining: An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times' by Scott Anthony, President of the boutique innovation consultancy firm, Innosight.

He is also the lead author of 'The Innovator's Guide to Growth', which I haven't read, & co-author of 'Seeing What's Next' (with world-famous innovation guru Clayton Christensen), which I had read several years ago.

The first thing that has struck me profoundly is his smooth way of capturing the essence of today's tumultuous business environment - 'Great Disruption', as an apt analogy of the 'Great Depression' of the 1930's - where change is ripping through marketspace at unprecedented pace.

However, he follows up with a brilliant analysis, infused with numerous examples (in spite of his humble qualification: "Our sample is heavily biased, but still the directional results are interesting.") of how innovation can still flourish, even in the toughest of economic times.

I like the beginning part when he talks about "Abundance is actually the root cause of many corporate struggles with innovation... On the other hand, constraints are one of the great enablers of innovation."

The observation of Jeff Bezos of Amazon fame probably sums up that sentiment best:

"If you ever find yourself in a box, the best way to get out of the box is to invent your way out of the box. Either/or thinking is very constraining. Sometimes people say it is either A or B and you instead have to invent C."

So, with the foregoing as a prologue, so to speak, I believe that the author has carefully written, with incisive anecdotes, an excellent strategy guide to help us think about how to reinvent ourselves so that we have a right to have a future.

I also love the way the author has laid out his easy-to-follow game-plan for readers, with pragmatic frameworks & useful tools to instil a disruptive innovation mindset:

- 'Chapter 1: The Great Disruption' ("... innovating in uncertain times is actually... innovating in any economic climate. Tough economic times are going to force innovators to do what they should have been doing already... The challenge is reinvention, or transformation... Perpetual transformation is the only way to thrive during the Great Disruption". Well said, Scott.);

- 'Chapter 2: Prune Prudently' (the portfolio checkup is a great tool for determining the health of one's innovation/growth portfolio), describes THINGS WE SHOULD STOP DOING;

- 'Chapter 3: Refeature to Cut Cost' (as reconstituted offerings provide better value), 'Chapter 4: Increase Innovation Productivity' (this is an excellent chapter, as it helps us to identify capabilities, constraints, weaknesses, & structures), 'Chapter 5: Master Smart Strategic Experiments' (a good perspective on technical experimentation vs strategic experimentation) & 'Chapter 6: Share the Innovation Load' ("Entrepreneurs don't take risk; they manage risks."), describe THINGS WE NEED TO DO DIFFERENTLY;

- 'Chapter 7: Learn to Love the Low End' (a great lesson on how to turn the disruptive threat into an opportunity) & 'Chapter 8: Drive Personal Reinvention' (my favourite chapter; I like the author's apt use of F Scott Fitzgerald's test of mastering seemingly paradoxical demands, & also his exhortation on associational thinking [with tendencies toward discovery skills, such as questioning, observing, exploring & networking;] & acquisition of 'schools of experience or hard knocks';), describe THINGS WE ARE NOT DOING YET, BUT NEED TO GET STARTED IMMEDIATELY;

The last chapter, 'Chapter 9: What's Next for Innovation', is a good epilogue, which highlights ten specific disruptors, with parting thoughts from the author.

Interestingly, as the author argues, instead of trying to play the innovation game better than existing competitors, the disruptor changes the game. This is the brutal reality of the 'Great Disruption'.

Undoubtedly, the author is really good, as I can sense his mastery of subject & clarity of thought, substantiated with intellectual rigour, deep academic research as well as powerful lessons from successful real-world innovators.

Clayton Christensen's credit of him as one of the world's foremost authorities on innovating for growth is a worthy testimonial.

The fact that the author had been engaged by the Singapore Government about five years ago to lead "a multi-month project to help the govenment understand how to create an environment that fosters entrepreneurialism & innovation" certainly underscored his impeccable reputation as an innovation strategist.

This is because the Singapore Government is well known internationally for always picking the best overseas brains to push strategic thrusts that involve the country's economic survival.

To conclude my review, I must say that I have truly enjoyed reading & digesting the author's playbook as he calls it.

What I also like best is that it reinforces Peter Drucker's long-held philosophy with regard to innovation as a deliberate, repeatable, & sustainable discipline.

Also, one more fascinating thought, or more precisely, a stream of connecting thoughts, from the author, reflecting his keen sense of closure, before I sign off:

At the introduction, the author writes: "(history) suggested that there were clear rays of hopes. Of course, realising that hope required thinking and acting differently... "

At the parting thoughts, the author writes: "... Hope is not lost. Opportunity remains... The choice is yours."

Hi, Scott, a marvellous piece of work, Thank You very much.

[More information about the author, his consultancy work & his book is available at the Innosight website. He also writes a weblog on innovation insights at Harvard Business.

In fact, readers can also visit the silverliningplaybook website to download many free resources inspired by 'The Silver Lining'.]

[Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, Singapore, July 2009]

I didn't find this book that useful or that it presented anything new or mentally enquiring. I also thought it was published quicky to take advantage of the current state of the economy. It's OK.

I didn't plan to spend the day reading The Silver Lining, but I happened to read it because of an unexpected -and by the way scary- storm in Miami, where I'm staying for a few weeks.

Thanks to God for the storm and thanks to Scott Anthony for the relatively short and insightful book he has written. It contains keys and methodology to allocate resources (people, time and money) for promising innovations that might help to transform the company.

Companies rarely transform themselves through cost cutting or improved operational effectiveness. Nowadays, they need a very special kind of leadership to dare to transform relatively successful -but declining- business models.

And since my job consists on helping management teams to unleash this transformation within the company, reading The Silver Lining has been a worth investment that I strongly recommend. Specially for those stormy days your company is going through, or shall go through in the future...

Posted in my blog: [...]

According to Scott Anthony, the "Great Disruption" refers to the current time when tumultuous change is "ripping through markets at unprecedented pace. Competitive advantage that took decades to build disappears seemingly overnight. While output might shrink and unemployment is sure to rise, companies that master these forces still have a chance to thrive; those that don't are sure to struggle." As Richard Florida suggests in The Great Reset, there have been three periods (in the 1870s, the 1930s, and now) when a tumultuous economy destroyed many companies but also created abundant opportunities for others. The key to survival during a process that bears striking resemblance to Charles Darwin's concept of natural selection was and continues to be the ability to adapt and the methodology for adaptation is innovation.

Anthony observes that "every crisis presents opportunities" and cites several examples of companies that took full advantage of theirs: "3M, General Electric, Microsoft, and Walt Disney were formed in a year that featured an economic downturn." Those that were founded during a recession include Black & Decker, ConAgra, Dow Chemical, Electronic Arts, Eli Lilly, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Harley-Davidson, McKinsey & Company, Texas Instruments, and Whole Foods Market.

So what? A great deal. "The biggest silver lining for innovation is the scarcity that is sure to result from the current economic climate is actually a good thing for innovation." Why? "Abundance is actually the root cause of many corporate struggles with innovation. Too much time or money allows companies to continue to follow fatally flawed strategies for too long or create overly complicated solutions that actually overshoot customer needs." I wholly agree with Anthony that constant innovation need not be expensive and probably is most productive when initiated under limitations of hours and dollars. That's why I also agree with him "there's never been a better time for innovators to face tighter purse strings." While the bears are ensconced in their caves awaiting better economic conditions, the bulls create (something new) and innovate (make something better). Finally, I agree with Anthony that "guidance about innovating in uncertain times is actually guidance for innovating in any economic climate." During good times and bad, the most important question to ask remains the same: "Is this the right business decision to make?"

Here's the challenge that all business leaders face: Invention or re-invention and transformation. "Perpetual transformation [i.e. constant adaptation] is the only way to thrive during the Great Disruption...Unfortunately, the brutal reality is that most efforts at transformation fail." There are exceptions (e.g. Apple, IBM, Procter & Gamble, and Nokia. "More often than nit, companies fail when they try to go beyond their core business. But in the Great Disruption, companies don't really have a choice. Investing in transformational efforts in a brutal market appears difficult, but the alternative isn't stagnation, it is extinction."

Throughout his lively and eloquent narrative Anthony offers a wealth of advice:

o Identifying the "different approach to take when prudently "pruning" by obtaining the answers to five questions (Pages 30-31)

o What the four business unit portfolio "traps" are and how to avoid or escape from them (Pages 34-35)

o Four specific analyses that can help to determine the degree to which an existing business has unexploited or under-developed potential (Pages 38-39)

o Three important lessons for cost cutting to be learned from the basic pattern of disruptive innovation (Page 52)

o The three-step process to drive "intelligent cost cutting" (Pages 52-63)

o The three-step process that innovators have used to drive disruption to create "spectacular success" (Pages 75-82)

Note: Table 4-1 on Page 76, all by itself, is worth much more than the cost of the book. The same is true of Tool 4-1 on Pages 88-89

o Four common strategic traps that may appear (Pages 96-98)

Mind you, all this is provided during the first hundred pages. As the remainder of the narrative also indicates, Anthony is a relentless empiricist and a world-class pragmatist who is determined to understand and then share with others what works, what doesn't, and why when companies attempt to survive - if not thrive -- during the current Great Disruption. Innovation offers a "silver lining," albeit a slim one more often than not, but an opportunity nonetheless. And Scott offers a "tool kit" (enclosed within a bound volume) for those who refuse to accept the current economic situation as "the beginning of the end." He also provides a "kick start to transformation" but, obviously, what happens next is up to his reader. Anthony concludes, "The choice is yours."