“The Silver Lining” by Scott Anthony is a relatively short and easy read.  Anthony introduces several different concepts in the book in addition to the main thesis—which seems to be that companies must prune their innovation portfolios, adjust their products to meet ever-changing customer requirements, and re-tool their organizations to better deal with constant change which is becoming “the new normal.”  The Silver Lining is a fun, practical book on innovation.  He explains how to maintain optimistic, entrepreneurial activities—including ongoing innovation – when the going gets tough.  

This is a book for leaders who want to innovate now more than ever, and intended to be a guide for executives and innovators seeking to seize the silver lining in today’s difficult times, for strategists and investors trying to spot industry winners and losers, and for individuals thinking about how to tighten their own belts or reinvent themselves.  

What can Innovation Do for You?

Innovation Emerges as a Critical Skill

There is tremendous pressure on everyone, individually and organizationally, to try and figure out how to do more with less.  This is not just a function of the current economic situation, but a result of the fact that people are starting to become more skeptical of how we use and invest resources.  The answer then is to think of more creative and innovative ways to do things with these resources.   Anthony adds, “It’s not just about doing things better, but doing things differently. Innovation has emerged as one of the top three priorities of most companies.  Five years ago, people thought that innovation was the job of a few.  But now we are seeing that innovation is the job of the masses, and learning professionals must equip people to do things they haven’t done before.”

Today many experts believe that innovation is a discipline that can be learned.  Anthony observes that organizations are increasingly asking their employees to do new things, but employees haven’t yet developed the muscles necessary to accomplish these new tasks successfully.  It is the job of the learning professionals to teach employees to develop their innovation skills, he adds.

Innovation in tough times - Tough times are the perfect opportunity to innovate.

• Innovation can flourish, even in the toughest of economic climates (pg. 4).
• Common wisdom suggests that every crisis presents opportunities (pg.12).
• The biggest silver lining for innovation is that the scarcity that is sure to result from the current economic climate is actually a good thing for innovation (pg. 13).
• One message that will repeat throughout this book is that guidance about innovating in uncertain times is actually guidance for innovating in any economic climate.  Tough economic times are going to force innovators to do what they should have been doing already (pg 15).
• Companies have to stop some innovation efforts to free up time and money for transformation (chapter 2).  

They have to do more with less by improving the productivity of individual innovation initiatives and broader innovation programs (chapters 3 through 6).  They have to start “loving the low end” to reach value-seeking customer segments (chapter 7).  Individuals need to start driving personal reinvention so they have the fluidity to master increasingly common paradoxes (chapter 8).

When money is tight, companies cut expenses -- Here are some questions to ask to determine if innovation can help:

1.  What are the potential payoff’s of each innovation?  Consider a range of scenarios.
2.  What risk is involved?
3.  What do you need to do or learn about this potential innovation?
4.  Does the idea fit a pattern you learned from studying other successful efforts?
5.  How does this concept fit the need to diversify your innovation portfolio in terms of risk, markets and timetables (when innovations will mature), among other factors?

Getting ready for Innovation

• Getting ready for Innovation involves three actions: gaining control over your core business, defining your innovation strategy, and allocating resources to realize that strategy (pg. 69).
• Structure for success (pgs. 83-85).

Innovation Success

1.  Stimulate innovation by broadening awareness and building skills.
2. Shepherd innovation by championing innovation efforts and removing obstacles that would otherwise limit the potential for innovative ideas to succeed.
3.  Spearhead innovation by providing the resources and environment to take ideas from concept to commercialization.
4.  Strengthen innovation and enable growth by building alliances, acquiring capabilities, or investing in innovative efforts outside the organization.

Take-Aways

• Tough times are the perfect opportunity to innovate.
• Plan your innovations thoroughly and factor in possible failure.
• Organize your company to support innovation, from sales to HR.
• Reduce the risk of innovating by experimenting quickly, cheaply and strategically, and by forming partnerships.

How the City of Olathe is Supporting Innovation

The City of Olathe, Kansas is in the process of forming a six to eight person Innovation Team.  We believe mastering Innovation is fast becoming an imperative for us and we know innovation means doing things differently.

Specifically, we are recruiting employees who feel they have these characteristics:

- Think Big
- Creative Thinking
- Action Oriented
- Problem Solver
- Troubleshooter
- Visionary
- Embrace Ambiguity
- Comfortable engaging in healthy dialogue and debate

What’s in it for members of Olathe’s Innovation Team?

- Opportunity to create Olathe’s best practice solutions.
- Act as a “Think Tank” for the City
- Opportunities to share innovation to spark change in the organization.
- Opportunity to interact with City Managers and other creative and energized people.
- Exposure to BIG thinking, signature series learning opportunities.