PublicAffairs Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation

Un libro que no se deja llevar por las máximas de los medios/gurus y nos muestra una forma equilibrada para evaluar amenazas y oportunidades para proteger nuestro modelo de negocio y aún más importante la capacidad de generar caja.

I must have read more than two dozen books on innovation, but this one is really outstanding. It is easy to read, even for a novice in innovation. The first part describes the more basic aspects of innovation (a welcome refresher on this topic). The second part covers how to innovate best in large corporates. Strategy, organization, systems, culture, leadership … every topic is covered.

Creative Construction is a terrific and refreshing book that turns a lot of conventional wisdom about innovation on its head. The basic idea behind Creative Construction is that larger enterprises can be just as innovative as start-ups if they have the right strategy, systems, and culture. The book does not promise any simple one size fits all solutions, but rather a comprehensive and practical set of principles, frameworks, and real world examples to help managers think through the right approaches for their organizations. While the book draws from a lot of serious research, it is written in a very accessible and even entertaining way. The author clearly enjoys poking fun of management clichés about innovation.After reading this book, I thought differently about innovation. While the focus is on how larger organizations can become and stay innovative, I think the lessons apply equally as well to smaller, growing companies. I recommend this book to anyone interested generally in innovation and small business owners who have aspirations to grow.

Creative Construction the DNA of Sustained Innovation by Harvard Business School professor Gary Pisano is a careful, detailed study of the importance of innovation for companies large and small. Early on Prof Pisano makes the point that we normally think of exciting innovative ideas coming from small, agile companies who are not overloaded with bureaucratic structures. He quickly points out that if we think this we would be mistaken. Apple, Google, Netflix, Amazon are all examples of huge companies that continue to innovate.Prof Pisano tells us that he offers us no easy answers for how to innovate in our organization. “Instead, I wrote Creative Construction for thoughtful practitioners seeking well-grounded principles and frameworks that can help them find the paths that work best for their organizations.” Creative Construction delivers on his promise.The capacity of an organization to innovate involves three leadership tasks, Pisano says. 1. Creating an innovation strategy. 2. Designing an innovation system. 3. Building an innovation culture. He is correct in pointing out that many organizations are not specific in formulating their innovation strategy. Fuzzy thinking and generalizations won’t get the job done. Time and again Pisano emphasizes the need to be specific and to make measurable the plan for innovation. I was reminded of Alan Lakein’s advice in How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, a great little book. Lakein wants us to get SMART with our goals; that is to make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-framed, exactly what we need for our stragegy for innovation.My copy of Prof. Pisano’s book is filled with notes. Creative Construction is a slow read. Pisano’s students at the Harvard Business School are likely to be assigned this book as part of their MBA preparation. The general reader may not want to spend the time needed to work through each well-researched and footnoted chapter. Even though the book is well-written and easy enough to understand, we must remember what I noted early in this review; thoughtful practitioners are Pisano’s target audience and they will be well-rewarded with the time and effort it takes to grapple with his ideas. Prof. Pisano has spent his life studying business and consulting with managers in many companies. He shares his real life experience throughout this valuable addition to business literature. Recommended.

Well-structured, clear and concise. State of the art, while integrating historic perspectives way back to Schumpeter and Christensen. THE guide for Open Innovation execs in large corporations.