Description
Book SynopsisPaul Light has captured the spirit of innovation. It is not aboutspectacular acts by individuals who labor against the odds, butabout the hard work of building organizations in which innovationis expected and possible. It is about tilling the soil so thatideas can flourish. Anyone who wants to take their organizationforward toward natural innovation should read this book.
--Walter F. Mondale
Any organization can innovate once. The challenge is to innovatetwice, thrice, and more?to make innovation a part of daily goodpractice. This book shows how nonprofit and governmentorganizations can transform the single, occasional act ofinnovating into an everyday occurrence by forging a culture ofnatural innovation.
Filled with real success stories and practical lessons learned,Sustaining Innovation offers examples of how organizations can takethe first step toward innovativeness, advice on how to survive theinevitable mistakes along the way, and tools for keeping the edgeon
Trade Review"Paul Light has captured the spirit of innovation. It is not aboutspectacular acts by individuals who labor against the odds, butabout the hard work of building organizations in which innovationis expected and possible. It is about tilling the soil so thatideas can flourish. Anyone who wants to take their organizationforward toward natural innovation should read this book." --WalterF. Mondale
"Many governments cannot tolerate innovation. Some can survive theoccasional innovator, but don't want to make it a habit. A very fewtry to institutionalize the process, to become innovatingorganizations. But it can be done, and no one is better qualifiedto show the way than Paul Light, one of the country's best analystsof the dynamics of public organizations. He's not only thoughtfuland perceptive, but thankfully, he can write." --?Peter A.Harkness, editor and publisher, GOVERNING Magazine
Paul Light has provided us, at last, with a deep understanding ofthe elements of success in sustaining ?what works.' His systematicstudy of the characteristics of organizations that move beyond thesporadic innovation and the irreplaceable wizard will proveinvaluable as both public and nonprofit organizations struggle todevise new strategies to serve shared social purposes." --?LisbethB. Schorr, lecturer in Social Medicine and director, Project onEffective Interventions, Harvard Univeristy
"Sustaining Innovation is a dynamic guide for any organization thatis prepared to make a leap to natural innovation. [Light's] insightand support is useful for all leaders, regardless of the kind ofzoo they run." --Kathryn R. Roberts, director, Minnesota Zoo
Table of Contents1. Preferred States of Organizational Being.
2. Removing Barriers and Debunking Myths.
3. Harnessing the Environment as a Force for Change.
4. Structuring the Organization to Encourage Creativity.
5. Changing the Leader's Work.
6. Using Management Systems that Accelerate Good Ideas.
7. Confronting Real Life in Nonprofit and GovernmentalOrganizations.
8. The Core Values of Innovating Organizations.
