What if almost everything you know about creating a culture of innovation is wrong? What if the way you are measuring innovation is choking it? What if your market research is asking all of the wrong questions? It's time to innovate the way you innovate. Stephen Shapiro is one of America's foremost innovation advisrrs, whose methods have helped organizations like Staples, GE, Telefónica, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and USAA. He teaches his clients that innovation isn't just about generating occasional new ideas; it's about staying consistently one step ahead of the competition. Hire people you don't like. Bring in the right mix of people to unleash your team's full potential. Asking for ideas is a bad idea. Define challenges more clearly. If you ask better questions, you will get better answers. Don't think outside the box; find a better box. Instead of giving your employees a blank slate, provide them with well-defined parameters that will increase their creative output. Failure is always an option. Looking at innovation as a series of experiments allows you to redefine failure and learn from your results. Shapiro shows that nonstop innovation is attainable and vital to building a high-performing team, improving the bottom line, and staying ahead of the pack.

Well-intentioned leaders are inadvertently destroying innovation in their attempts to boost innovation. What if almost everything you know about creating a culture of innovation is hindering your progress? What if the way you are measuring innovation is choking it? What if your market research is focusing on the wrong metrics? It's time to innovate the way you innovate. Innovation isn't just about generating occasional new ideas; it's about staying consistently one step ahead of the competition. Best Practices Are Stupid offers forty counterintuitive yet proven strategies for boosting innovation and making it a repeatable, sustainable, and profitable process at the heart of your company's culture. They include: Hire people you don't like. Bring in the right mix of people to unleash your team's full potential. Asking for ideas is a bad idea. Instead, define challenges more clearly. If you ask better questions, you will get better answers. Don't think outside the box. Instead, find a better box. Rather than giving your employees a blank slate, provide them with well-defined parameters that will increase their creative output. Stop glorifying failure. Looking at innovation as a series of experiments allows you to redefine and minimize failure. This compact book shows that non-stop innovation is attainable and vital to building a high-performing team, improving the bottom line, and staying ahead of the pack. "Don't let its compact size-or snarky title-fool you. It's a worthwhile read. Unlike so many other books in this particular genre, it doesn't disguise otherwise straightforward concepts with overwrought explanations. Shapiro gets straight to the point with 40 often counterintuitive tips on how to strengthen your innovation muscles, served up with respect for your time and intelligence." - Jake Sorofman, Gartner Group

Solve Any Problem Faster, with Less Risk and Lower CostUnprecedented access to infinite solutions has led us to realize that having all of the answers is not the answer. From innovation teams to creativity experts to crowdsourcing, we've turned from one source to another, spending endless cycles pursuing piecemeal solutions to each challenge we face.What if your organization had an effective and systematic approach to deal with any problem? To find better solutions, you need to first ask better questions. The questions you ask determine which solutions you'll see and which will remain hidden.This compact yet powerful book contains the formulas to reframe any problem multiple ways, using 25 lenses to help you gain different perspectives. With visual examples and guidance, it contains everything you need to master any challenge.This book will help you:? Discover why we are hardwired to ask ineffective questions and learn to work through those barriers.? Understand the power and importance of well-defined questions.? Reframe any problem multiple ways to help you find the optimal solution.? Move from idea-based innovation to question-based innovation that drives higher ROI.Apply just one of the lenses and you will quickly discover better solutions. Apply all of them and you will be able to solve any problem-in business and in life.

“Why don’t board members do what they’re supposed to do?” Board members not meeting performance expectations is one of the most challenging issues faced by nonprofit organizations and causes considerable frustration among nonprofit leaders—and they usually place the blame on board members. However, much of what has been written on this topic is based on opinions and experiences of staff professionals, with solutions focused on more training of the board members. Yet the problem persists. So whatever advice that has been offered hasn’t worked. This book is different. Author and expert leadership consultant Hardy Smith shows that most difficulties contributing to boards not performing as desired are self-inflicted by leaders who repeat flawed practices that could be avoided. As a result, Smith provides what numerous other books on this topic have not: truly effective solutions. Stop the Nonprofit Board Blame Game • uses feedback from a wide variety of board members to reveal their unique perspectives; • explains why performance problems exist; • identifies realistic, results-oriented solutions; • shares proven how-tos for taking action. This book is the only guide you need to improve the engagement and effectiveness of your board and strengthen relationships. It will constructively transform your organization.

Businesses can connect with, educate and sell easily and automatically at a much lower cost when using the Covert Selling Formula outlined by Tiz Gambacorta in this book. Imagine if your entire sales and marketing process could be automated online: - Your leads become clients... - Your clients become repeat clients... - Your repeat clients become fervent fans who in turn bring more leads to your door... ...all 100%% hands-free. Tiz Gambacorta guides you through the theory and practicalities of building fully automated sales and marketing processes, giving you everything you need to know to start generating sales and building a community of loyal customers the moment you turn the last page.

Although this book is about Information Technology, it is in no way technical. The main objectives are to both enlighten and entertain. It covers the four decades I have worked in the industry in which I've attempted to cover all the good things, all the bad things and some downright ugly things. There is also a flavour of 'Wouldn't it be nice if...?' There are 26 sections - one for each letter of the alphabet and the book takes the format of Questions and Answers, not dissimilar to I.T Agony Uncle columns. The main message I have attempted to convey is that I.T. is a knowledge industry. It is populated almost exclusively by very smart people. These people do not require micro-management. They need to be encouraged and trusted to do outstanding work in an environment that is free of fear and blame. There are not many managers who are comfortable with this and we need a radical change in culture so that people can flourish and have fun.

Since 1993, forty-nine theological seminaries have created opportunities for high school students to participate in on-campus High School Theology Programs (HSTPs) that invite them to engage in serious biblical and theological study. Many of the young people who take part in these programs go on to become pastoral or lay leaders in their churches. What has made these programs so successful — especially given the well-documented “crisis of faith” among young people today? In this book thirteen contributors — many of whom have created or led one of these innovative theology programs — investigate answers to this question. They examine the pedagogical practices the HSTPs have in common and explore how they are contributing to the leadership of the church. They then show how the lessons gleaned from these successful programs can help churches, denominations, and seminaries reimagine both theological education and youth ministry.

Traces the author's battle with Asperger Syndrome, describing his adult diagnosis and the painstaking and often whimsical exercises he uses to preserve his family and build social skills.

Although there are countless books about process improvement and business performance, there is a dearth of literature on how process improvement yields business performance results. Filling this need, Return On Process (ROP): Getting Real Performance Results from Process Improvement provides strategic and tactical guidance on how to achieve a posi