This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
“The challenge is not just to make
innovation happen, but to do so while simultaneously excelling at ongoing
operations. The challenge is to tackle
two very different activities – in fact, two diametrically opposed activities –
at the same time.” – Vijay Govindarajan, and Chris Trimble, Chapter 1: The
Other Side of Innovation, Page 16
“As important as it is to take the step of commissioning a
Dedicated Team, it is not enough to do so.
The Special Team is not one group of people, it is two groups. It is a partnership between the
Dedicated Team and the Shared Staff. As
its name implies, the Shared Staff does double duty. It takes on selected innovation tasks while
simultaneously sustaining excellence in day-to-day operations.” – Vijay
Govindarajan, and Chris Trimble, Chapter 5: Build the Team: An Overview, Page 43
“Bringing about a dramatic change in work relationships, even in groups of just two people, is hard work. Now imagine trying to do so while simultaneously sustaining excellence in the work you already do. It’s nearly impossible. Every day, the existing work reinforces the relationship that’s already in place.” – Vijay Govindarajan, and Chris Trimble, Chapter 6: Divide the Labor, Page 48
Is This An Overview?
Innovation takes more than the idea. Innovation takes both the idea and execution
of the idea. There is no innovation
without committing to developing the idea and putting in the effort to make the
idea real. Companies can lack innovation
because companies are built for ongoing operations. Companies excel at present customers and
difficulties. Innovation takes resources
away from ongoing operation, away from pressing concerns, towards
experimentation that can fail. Taking
resources away from ongoing operations can threaten the efficiency of ongoing
operations. Companies become efficient
as ongoing operations become repeatable and predictable. But innovation is not routine and contains
uncertainty. The challenge is for
companies is to innovate while excelling at ongoing operations.
There are three types of methods, three types of models for
executing innovation initiatives. Each
type has different resources constraints.
Model S is for Small initiatives.
Small initiatives are part of a culture of innovation. Where any employee can develop an idea and
take the initiative. Meant as a strategy
for picking up slack within operations.
The limitation of this model is that people are already busy. Even if many ideas are thought of, there
might not be enough resources available to try all the recommended innovations.
Model R is for Repeatable initiatives. This is the method when procedures can be
developed for similar innovations.
Procedures that can become repeatable and predictable. The routine process enables efficient
operations. The limitation of this model
is that the more efficient the model is, the less flexible the operations
become. What Model R does is provide a
process of updating previous versions of the same product, not developing new
products.
Model C is for Custom initiatives. This method takes more effort and creates
incompatibilities between innovation and ongoing operations. This method requires taking work away from
ongoing operations, and putting the work into innovation work. This strategy requires a dedicated team which
is dedicated to the innovative product.
And a shared staff that supports the dedicated team while sustaining
regular operations. The limitation of
this model is that there will be conflict between what the dedicated team needs
and the rest of the company. The
dedicated team needs their own separate cultural norms, to think and behave
differently than the rest of the company.
The dedicated team’s efforts are meant to create change, but when the
change is too drastic, the change becomes disruptive to ongoing operations.
Caveats?
This book is not meant to be comprehensive. This book is meant for brevity, to be
accessible to people who do not have time to read. Which limits content on the topics covered,
with more explanations available in different books.
This book often provides basic information, such as about
science. This book can guide
inexperienced managers to develop an innovative company, to provide expectations
on consequences of making changes and how to avoid certain common
problems. Experienced managers should
already have an understanding of how to manage people and products within their
company, but can use the book as a reference to where they can improve.
