Table of Contents
Introduction: How to Make Yourself Indispensable in Today's Hypercompetitive World vii
Part I Unleashing the Indispensable You 1
Chapter 1 Make Innovation Your Business 3
Differentiating Yourself in the Age of Disruption, Downsizing, and Discontinuity
Chapter 2 The I-Skill Principles: Innovation Is Not 11
Something You Do After You Get Your Work Done; It's How You Approach Your Work
Chapter 3 Your Personal Innovation Strategy 23
Four Critical Components for Making Yourself Harder to Replace
Part 2 The Seven Fundamental I-Skills 45
I-Skill #1 Embrace the Opportunity Mindset 47
Add Value to Every Task and Project
I-Skill #2 Become an Assumption Assaulter 65
Blast Away at Personal, Organizational, and Industry Notions that Block Progress
I-Skill #3 Cultivate a Passion for the End Customer 91
Everything You Create Is Your Product and Every Product Has a Customer
I-Skill #4 Think Ahead of the Curve 105
Notice Trends, Anticipate Threats, and Discover Hidden Opportunities
I-Skill #5 Become an Idea Factory 125
How to Produce an Abundance of Great Ideas Even If You Don't Think You Are Creative
I-Skill #6 Become a Standout Collaborator 147
Galvanize Teams and Departments to Get New Initiatives Done
I-Skill #7 Build the Buy-In for New Ideas 167
Tools and Techniques for Selling Your Innovations to Co-Workers, the Boss, and the End Customer
Notes l81
Acknowledgments 187
About the Author l89
Index 191