Companies can’t survive without innovating. But most put far more emphasis on
generating Big Ideas than on executing them—turning ideas into actual breakthrough
products, services, and process improvements.
That’s because “ideating” is energizing and glamorous. By contrast,
execution seems like humdrum, behind-the-scenes dirty work. But without execution, Big
Ideas go nowhere.
In The Other Side of Innovation, Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble reveal
how to execute an innovation initiative—whether a simple project or a grand, gutsy
gamble..
Drawing on examples from innovators as diverse as Allstate, BMW, Timberland,
and Nucor, the authors explain how to:
• Build the Right Team: Determine who’ll be on the team, where
they’ll come from, how they’ll be organized, how much time they’ll devote to the
project, and how they’ll navigate the delicate and conflict-rich partnership between
innovation and ongoing operations.
• Manage a Disciplined Experiment: Decide how team members can quickly
test their assumptions , translate results into new knowledge, and measure progress. Give
innovation leaders a tough but fair performance evaluation.
Practical and provocative, this new book takes you step-by-step through the
innovation execution process—so your Big Ideas deliver their full promise.
Vijay Govindarajan is the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International
Business and the Founding Director of the Center for Global Leadership at the Tuck School
of Business at Dartmouth College, and the 2008 Professor-in-Residence and Chief Innovation
Consultant for General Electric.
Chris Trimble, a well-known innovation speaker and consultant, is also
on the faculty at Tuck.
240 pages, Hardcover