The Innovation Killer: How What We Know Limits What We Can Imagine and What Smart Companies Are Doing about It

Companies and teams rely on what we know and the way we do things here to speed decision making and maintain a sense of order. But progress demands change, risk taking, and occasionally, revolution. Processes must be overhauled, assumptions challenged, taboos broken.

But how do you do it? Who among the group will take responsibility for a brand-new initiative or unorthodox decision? Who will be willing to stand up and say, in essence, that the emperor has no clothes? As much as we laud the concept of thinking outside of the box, most of us think it's a lot safer to stay inside.

It's time to call in a zero-gravity thinker who is not weighed down by the twin innovation killers -- GroupThink and its close cousin, ExpertThink. According to The Innovation Killer, the right zero gravity thinker will ideally possess the following traits:

• Psychological distance: the most important tool of the impartial observer, it enables him or her to maintain an open mind.
• Renaissance tendencies: a wide range of interests, experiences, and influences more readily inspires innovative approaches.
• Related expertise: strength in a relevant area may lead to intersection points at which solutions are often found.

This book helps identify when and why you should call in a collaborator, where to find one, and how you and your team can start working with him or her. There are also strategies for turning yourself into a zero-gravity thinker when it's simply not practical to bring in a true outsider.

Knowledge is good, except when it trumps real innovation. Whether your team is too focused on the forest or can't see past the trees, this book will help you add the perspective you need to make the great decisions that will move your company forward.