This original book review was written by and posted on behalf of Vijaya Gollamudi.
“Innovation is a two-part challenge. Part one is ideas; part two is execution.” That is the message Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble share in their book, Beyond the Idea. They also state that most companies spend their resources on the first part but fail on the second. The book Beyond the Idea was written to provide practical guidance on how to move beyond idea generation and into actual implementation.
Govindarajan and Trimble present three different project management methods designed to help users execute innovative ideas effectively.
These three different models are presented in a very easy-to-understand format for busy managers who want to understand the mechanics of how to cultivate a culture of innovation into their company. The book is a very good executive summary with the right amount of detail and clear directions on what to do, what not to do, as well as for specific leadership levels.
The book focuses on the organizational process and structure of bringing innovative ideas to reality. While the authors claim that everyone can get some value by reading the book, senior managers who have the maturity and experience to understand and implement these ideas are the target audience.
The book is almost entirely focused on processes and organizational structures, and very little time is dedicated to people and their relationships. Though the book talks a little bit about conflict between the innovation champions and workers in on-going operations, it does not explore the causes of resistance and how to mitigate them.
In this book, innovation is defined very broadly. By this definition, any type of change or normal improvement in products and services can also be dubbed as innovation.
The techniques proposed by the authors range from normal improvements to truly disruptive innovations. The book serves its purpose of getting senior management to understand the latest philosophies on innovation execution and how they can go about bringing a culture of innovation into the organization.
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