Grabbing Lightning: Building a Capability for Breakthrough Innovation

O'Connor (marketing, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) contends that a management system that fosters innovation allows, and even encourages, mistakes and failures in order to promote learning. She outlines three building blocks of breakthrough innovation--discovery, incubation, and acceleration-- and shows what it takes to become an organization that values the breakthrough innovation management system. She also explores the challenges organizations can expect to face once a breakthrough innovation capability is initiated, and offers advice for establishing innovation as a sustainable business function in organizations. An appendix provides a format for assessing a firm's breakthrough innovation competency. Jossey-Bass is an imprint of Wiley. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Established companies are clamoring for breakthrough innovation, but are often hamstrung by the highly reliable, repeatable processes of their management systems. Based on years of research, Grabbing Lightning shows how twelve companies have tried to develop a capability for sustainable breakthrough innovation and outlines best practices for your organization. The authors show how the management system for innovation is different from the traditional one in that it allowsand even encouragesmistakes and failures in order to promote learning. Grabbing Lightning outlines the three building blocks of breakthrough innovation (BI) and shows what it takes to become an organization that values the BI management system.