Communicating The New: Methods to Shape and Accelerate Innovation

Book description

"Communicating radical innovation is very different from discussing marginal change. Erwin's book provides a serious analysis of why, in this era of VUCA—Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity—we need to change our individual and organizational modes of communication. Erwin then provides a series of concrete, practical communication methodologies that we so need. Communicating the New is a book that needs to be offered in all of our best business-school classes."

—Bruce Nussbaum, author of Creative Intelligence, former assistant managing editor for BusinessWeek, and Professor of Innovation & Design at Parsons The New School of Design

"One of the main problems with executing innovation in organizations is also one of the least obvious. Communicating The New reminds us about an often neglected but crucial part in the innovation process. Applying the principles contained in this book will increase your chances for innovation success, both inside your company—overcoming organizational barriers, as well as outside—convincing your customers. This is an essential read for those who not only preach for improving the current state of things, but more important to those responsible for executing it."

—Luis Arnal, Managing Partner, INSITUM

"I was hooked instantly. The names of people that I should give this book to keep building with each new chapter. Communicating the New is thorough as well as thoughtful in providing an impressive compendium of models, framework, methods, and tools for navigating the 21st-century challenges of creating The New. Finally, a useful resource to navigate the complexity of creating The New."

—Clement Mok, Designer, Entrepreneur, and Instigator

"Anyone who has experienced the challenge of co-creating The New and engaging enterprise audiences will find useful ways to produce insight, influence, and impact."

—Paul Siebert, Director of Research + Strategy, Steelcase

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. WHY THIS BOOK? WHY NOW?
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
  8. The Mission and the Mess
    1. CHALLENGES OF COMMUNICATING THE NEW
    2. WHAT'S IN OUR WAY? THREE COMMUNICATION MYTHS
    3. RECONCEIVING THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
    4. FIVE WAYS COMMUNICATION METHODS ACCELERATE INNNOVATION
  9. 1: Finding the conceptual center
    1. MODELS AND FRAMEWORKS: Thinking with our eyes
    2. HOW TO MAKE MODELS WORK: How might we use the mighty model to find the conceptual center of our work?
    3. BUILD-TO-THINK PROTOTYPES: Thinking with Our Hands
    4. LISTS AND OPEN-ENDED WRITING: Thinking with words
    5. THE TAKEAWAY: Five big ideas for finding the conceptual center
  10. 2: Framing the work
    1. METAPHORS
    2. MANTRAS AND CATCHPHRASES
    3. CONTRAST
    4. STORIES
    5. ARTIFACTS AND IMAGES
    6. HOW (AND WHY) TO USE MULTIPLE FRAMES TO GREATER EFFECT
    7. THE TAKEAWAY: Five big ideas when framing the work
  11. 3: Targeting your constituents
    1. THE COMMUNICATION PLAN
    2. MENTAL MODEL AND ORTHODOXY ANALYSIS
    3. QUAD A DIAGNOSTIC
    4. THE “ORGANIZATION AS CULTURE” FRAMEWORK
    5. SEGMENTING AND TARGETING CONSTITUENTS
    6. THE TAKEAWAY: Four big ideas when targeting constituents
  12. 4: Introduce new thinking
    1. EXPLORATORY EXPERIENCES: Use your environment to your advantage
    2. IMMERSION EXPERIENCES: Use technology to transform the experience of your content
    3. INTERACTION EXPERIENCES: Use tools and games to bring hands-on learning to the experience
    4. APPLICATION EXPERIENCES: Invite others to problem-solve with you
    5. EXTENSION EXPERIENCES: Use artifacts to keep information alive
    6. THE TAKEAWAY: Five big ideas when introducing new thinking
  13. 5: Expand the conversation
    1. COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS: Give them something rich and relevant
    2. PERFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS: Give them something to talk about
    3. DEMONSTRATION ARTIFACTS: Give them something to show and share
    4. THE TAKEAWAY: Five big ideas when expanding the conversation
  14. Conclusion
    1. FIVE BIG SHIFTS IN THINKING (AND DOING)
    2. ADVANCING THE METHODS BASE
  15. Under the hood: Theories, writers and references
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Communicating The New: Methods to Shape and Accelerate Innovation
  • Author(s): Kim Erwin
  • Release date: August 2013
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781118394175