Guest Host: Faces of Innovation.
During my week as guest host here at FC Now, I've tried to amplify, explain, or improvise on the Ten Faces of Innovation from my new book that appears in the current issue of Fast Company.
Those posts were mixed in with the prolific blogging of other Fast
Company editorial contributors, so in case you missed the narrative
thread, here's a link to posts about the Anthropologist, the Experimenter, the Cross-Pollinator, the Hurdler, the Collaborator, the Director, the Experience Architect, and the Set Designer.
Collectively, these innovation roles are intended to offer a chance
for people feeling stuck in an ordinary work life to have the rewarding
experience of being just a little bit more extraordinary. To break up
patterns of routine or boredom with the chance to capture fresh
insights or master new skills. In fact, maybe The Ten Faces of
Innovation is ultimately about the chance to be remarkable, which is
also the theme of The Big Moo a new book by Seth Godin and the Group of 33. You can hear the story of The Big Moo at Remarkabalize.com or at Seth Godin's blog.
Seth was kind enough to invite me (along with 30 of his closest
friends and one really close relative)to contribute to the book. In
return for that kindness, the Group of 33 agreed to donate 100% of our
authors' royalties to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Acumen Fund, and Room to Read.
For the past year or so, I have thought of these two human-centered
innovation books as living in parallel universes, until last night when
I re-read the first page of The Big Moo and realized it fit almost
perfectly with the message of the Ten Faces.
So, as a parting thought on my last guest-host blog post for Fast
Company, I'll offer up this text from the very first page of The Big
Moo [with just one word added to make it dovetail with the underlying
theme of the Ten Faces]:
WHO YOU ARE IS WHAT YOU DO
You are not a cog.
You are not [just] an assistant or an administrator.
You are not [just] a gofer or a middle manager, either.
No, you're creative. A valuable asset to your family and your
community. A person who can make a difference to an organization.
You are capable of having an impact, leaving a legacy, creating things that are outstanding.
You are not ordinary.
In fact, you're remarkable.
Now, hurry. Don't let yourself (and the rest of us) down. [Fast Company Now]