The Impulse Factor

We make hundreds, or even thousands of decisions every day. For some, the cautious option is the usual choice, but others follow their impulse to try something new or more risky. Being impulsive is usually viewed negatively, but we must remember that following these impulses can result in new entrepreneurial businesses, acts of heroism during crises, and game-changing innovations. Tasler explores the biological and personality factors that drive impulsive behavior and show the role that they play in our personal and day-to-day lives. Armed with some knowledge of what makes us cautious or impulsive, he helps us to appreciate the opposite tendency and work toward a balance between the two.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

The Impulse Factor: An Innovative Approach to Better Decision Making
Nick Tasler
BF 611 .T37 2009

Borrowing Brilliance

Murray asserts that there is no such thing as an original idea. Instead, he believes that great thinkers and successful inventors and businessmen borrow ideas from others. This is a controversial concept, challenging the notion of authorship and intellectual property. In this book, Murray takes readers step-by-step through his thought process--some of it analytical and some of it non-traditional--teaching them a six-step "borrowing" process that anyone can use to innovate in the business environment. Murray combines practical ideas with anecdotes about "brilliant borrowers," both past and present.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the Ideas of Others
David Kord Murray
HD 53 .M87 2009

Nanotechnology

The field of nanotechnology spans a range of scientific fields, all of which are investigating the manipulation of materials at the atomic and molecular level. At this scale, the principles of Newtonian physics--gravity, electricity, and magnetism--are no longer dominant, and instead the laws of quantum mechanics prevail. Nanotechnology holds much promise for scientific learning as well as practical application in technological, medical, and other related fields. Unlike the huge breakthroughs that have marked scientific discovery in the past, experts predict that the field of nanotechnology will be marked by numerous smaller discoveries. In 2003, Congress passed legislation supporting research and development in the area of nanotechnology. Isn't it about time that we understand what potential effects this may have on our society?

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Nanotechnology: Science, Innovation, and Opportunity
Lynn E. Foster
T 174.7 .F68 2006

Thinkertoys

This playful and stimulating book is full of questions, examples, and exercises that stretch your thinking. It describes different types of thinking--for example positive or negative, left-brained or right-brained--and the kinds of ideas, conclusions, and even behavior that kind of thinking produces. The majority of the book, however, is devoted to challenging our existing ways of thinking using particular strategies, techniques, or analytical methods. Michalko argues that learning to use some of these new thinking strategies will result in increased creativity, a broader range of ideas, and new ways of solving problems. He recommends "playing" with these "toys" rather than reading this book in a traditional way from cover to cover. Many of these "toys" would also make outstanding team enrichment exercises or materials for workshops.

This book can be found at HECSA Library:

Thunkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques
Michael Michalko
2nd ed.
HD 53 .M53 2006

Cats

You may often hear that curiosity killed the cat. Without it, however, the cat would never make some of the discoveries that it manages. This book will teach you how to spark creativity and explore problems in new and innovative ways. This book offers a playful approach to innovation by looking at the subject from a cat's point of view. However, it offers real lessons that can be applied in both professional and personal situations. Lundin examines some of the challenges to innovation and creativity that people and organizations face, and offers practical suggestions about how to overcome these obstacles. This is a fun book to read that is bound to spark creative thinking in even the most dedicated dog lover.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Cats: The Nine Lives of Innovation
Stephen C. Lundin
HD 53 .L86 2009

Innovate the Pixar Way

Capodagli and Jackson reveal how they have reawakened the creative Disney spirit in Pixar Studios. Pixar is built on the simple philosophy that quality is the best business plan, regardless of how long it takes, because they believe that you have only one chance to deliver a truly magical and enchanting experience for your customer. They explain how Pixar has been able to create an innovative culture by allowing their employees to have childlike vision, trust in one another, take risks, and focus on the quality of their work. In addition to examples from Pixar, Capodagli and Jackson draw examples from numerous other organizations that exemplify innovative workplaces.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Innovate the Pixar Way: Business Lessons from the World's Most Creative Corporate Playground
Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson
HD 53 .C369 2010

Unleashing Innovation

Synder and Duarte tell the story of how Whirlpool transformed itself from a company who excelled at building appliances to one who had embedded innovation at every level of its organization. This change effort, one of the largest in corporate history, reshaped Whirlpool's corporate culture and generated economic growth. This book is filled with real-world examples of how Whirlpool created consistent, profitable innovation by involving all employees and dispelling the belief that innovation can only come from research and development or leadership sectors of a company. Snyder and Duarte show how Whirlpool created an environment that emphasizes learning, creating, dreaming, and offers strategies and tools on how a similar environment can be developed in other organizations.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Unleashing Innovation: How Whirlpool Transformed an Industry
Nancy Tennant Snyder and Deborah L. Duarte
HD 9971.5 .W374 W457 2008

Making Innovation Work

Innovation does not just happen. It must be managed and measured. This book provides a start-to-finish process for creating business growth from innovation. Drawing on both research and experience, the authors demonstrate what works, what doesn't, and how to use management tools to maximize the value that your company gets from its investment into innovation. They describe strategies that foster innovative thinking and organizational structures that make innovation possible and sustainable. They also describe how to manage innovation, including how to measure throughout every phase of the innovation process. This book takes the mystery out of innovation by showing how to lead it, track it, and encourage it.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It
Tony Davila, Marc J. Epstein, and Robert Shelton
HD 58.8 .D37 2006

Firefly Effect

Douglas explores what it takes to build teams that collaborate and work together creatively. She explains how business leaders can identify and capitalize on creative "fireflies" and use them as the center of productive, energetic, and innovative teams. Douglas asserts that the "firefly effect" leads to more than just great business results. It also develops employees who are invested in their jobs and working toward a higher goal than putting in hours or earning a paycheck. It helps employees identify and use their creative talents, and focuses these on the areas where they can be best used for benefiting the organization. Each chapter contains inspiring success stories as well as tools and exercises to begin putting this idea to work in your organization.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

The Firefly Effect: Build Teams that Capture Creativity and Catapult Results
Kimberly Douglas
HD 66 .D675 2009