Customer Reviews

Winning the Innovation Game

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I bought this book by Dr. Denis Waitley and Robert B. Tucker largely because it was so positively recommended by Tom Peters.
And I wasn't dissappointed.

Shortly after reading this book, I potted a trend that made me a ton of money. This book was one of the first, perhaps even the first book, to challenge people to come out of the box---to think out of the box, be creative, become a trend spotter, build a teamof supporters and how to be a prudent risk taker.

All in all, a great book by these two gentlemen.

This book is the indispensable guide to winning big - at life. In our time of very rapid changes, we all need to become an innovator. Whilst the entrepreneur finds a need and fills it, the innovator anticipates or creates a need and fills it. This book is divided into 12 chapters. They are: (1). Winners in a World of Change; (2). Your Winning Strategy; (3). An Innovation Self-Inventory; (4). Becoming Your Own Trend-Spotter; (5). Unhooking Your Prejudices; (6).Working With Ideas; (7). The Power of Informed Intuition; (8). Spotting Opportunities in Change; (9). Building Your Breakthrough Ideas; (10). The Elements of Risk-Taking; (11). Building Your Team; (12). Staying in Your Game. Each of these chapters is fraught with useful insights. But, because of the exigency of space I can only mention 8 of them. They are: (1). Successful innovation is not a feat of intellect, it is a feat of will. The innovators have learned how to make change work for them rather than against them; (2). Wide reading helps you make better decisions even though you might not specifically be able to say why; (3). If someone hasn't told you recently that your ideas are crazy, you haven't been doing much thinking in the Innovation Mode; (4). Most ideas move to other ideas and you build on them. You've got to experiment; (5). The really valuable factor is intuition. It helps the innovator sense when a problem exists; (6). Observe a trend and come with a way to exploiting it. Search for solutions in negative trends; (7). By gathering strategic information, soliciting feedback, and looking for ideas to borrow, you will increase the chances that your ideas will succeed; and (8). The most dangerous moment comes with victory. You must continue to keep abreast with change. The way this book is structured makes it very easy and a real pleasure to read. Digest this book and you will have so many valuable insights for your business and life. Dr Jusuf Hariman.

Winning the Innovation Game
by Robert Tucker & Denis Waitley

How to Profit from Today's Rapid Changes
by Robert Tucker

Innovative Secrets of Success
by Robert Tucker & Denis Waitley

During the late eighties/early nineties, while pursuing my personal interests in understanding 'entrepreneurial opportunity search & recognition' skills, I came across three wonderful books. Two were entitled, 'Opportunities: A Handbook for Opportunity Search' by Edward de Bono, & 'The Innovation Formula' by Michel Robert.

The remaining third book was 'Winning the Innovation Game' by Robert Tucker & Denis Waitley. During the period, both authors were well-known thought leaders, with the former in 'innovation circles' & the latter in 'peak performance.'

'Winning the Innovation Game' captured the pioneering work of the principal author, who had interviewed more than fifty successful & innovative executives, entrepreneurs & financiers during

the eighties. Their 'innovative secrets of success' were sprinkled generously throughout the book, arranged with the following layout of chapters:

- The Innovator Defined;
- Winning Strategy;
- Innovation Self-Inventory;
- Becoming Your Own Trend Spotter;
- Improving Quality of Your Thinking;
- Proven Strategies for Working with Ideas;
- Tapping the Power of Your Informed Intuition;
- Finding Innovative Opportunities of Your Own;
- Discovering Your Breakthrough Idea;
- Building Your Breakthrough Idea;
- Elements of Risk Taking;
- Building Your Team;
- Staying on the Game;

I reckon the most exciting & valuable aspects of the author's interview results in the book were the following revelations:

- how to spot changes & trends before your competitors do;
- how to analyze trends & format strategies to profit from them;
- how to develop your own "future scan system" to keep you from missing out on important developments;
- how to distinguish between passing fads & the kind of changes that will reshape the marketplace;

I have also enjoyed exploring the self-questioning checklist in one of the chapters, which I would like to reproduce as follows:

- what do I really enjoy doing that I'd like to do more of?
- where's the niche that hasn't been developed?
- how can I position myself in a way that is different?
- how can I make a living from doing what to one is fun, challenging & never boring?
- what might my customer group want if it were available?
- what can I offer they (the competitors) aren't offering?
- what would make this process or procedure more convenient?
- where is the market inefficiency?
- what's next for me, inc?
- What would people pay for that isn't available yet?
- how can I do this less expensively?
- how can I add value to the service or product I now produce?

The other titles I have listed above are basically abridged audio versions of the book.

'How to Profit from Today's Rapid Changes' was published in March 1988 by Simon & Schuster, while the other was published in March 1989 by Nightingale-Conant. I believe the audio versions are still available for download from online stores like audible &/or or learnoutloud websites.

Although many of the stuff in the three titles were produced prior to the internet era, most of the strategies revealed in the book were pretty generic & could be applicable in today's context.

In comparison with 'Opportunities' & 'The Innovation Formula' which are more intellectually intense, content-wise, (& which are also written by more established authors), this book has a slight dose of a broad brush. Nevertheless, there are still many valuable expert tips for readers from this book.

Like I have often said in my many reviews, good books on 'entrepreneurial opportunity search & recognition' skills are rare. 'Winning the Innovation Game' is therefore a real gem.

[I recommend readers to read also Robert Tucker's 'Driving Growth through Innovation' & Denis Waitley's 'Empires of the Mind: Lessons to Lead & Succeed in a Knowledge-based World.']