Innovation is Everybody's Business: How to Make Yourself Indispensable in Today's Hypercompetitive World

Introduction: How to Make Yourself Indispensable in Today’s Hypercompetitive World vii

Part 1: Unleashing the Indispensable You 1

Chapter 1: Make Innovation Your Business: Differentiating Yourself in the Age of Disruption, Downsizing, and Discontinuity 3

Chapter 2: The I-Skill Principles: Innovation Is Not Something You Do After You Get Your Work Done; It’s How You Approach Your Work 11

Chapter 3: Your Personal Innovation Strategy: Four Critical Components for Making Yourself Harder to Replace 23

Part 2: The Seven Fundamental I-Skills 45

I-Skill #1: Embrace the Opportunity Mindset Add Value to Every Task and Project 47

I-Skill #2: Become an Assumption Assaulter Blast Away at Personal, Organizational, and Industry Notions that Block Progress 65

I-Skill #3: Cultivate a Passion for the End Customer 91

Everything You Create Is Your Product and Every Product Has a Customer

I-Skill #4: Think Ahead of the Curve 105

Notice Trends, Anticipate Threats, and Discover Hidden Opportunities

I-Skill #5: Become an Idea Factory 125

How to Produce an Abundance of Great Ideas Even If You Don’t Think You Are Creative

I-Skill #6: Become a Standout Collaborator 147

Galvanize Teams and Departments to Get New Initiatives Done

I-Skill #7: Build the Buy-In for New Ideas 167

Tools and Techniques for Selling Your Innovations to Co-Workers, the Boss, and the End Customer

Notes 181

Acknowledgments 187

About the Author 189

Index 191