Kill the Company Lib/E: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution

by Lisa Bodell

In the ever-changing world of business, we've arrived at a point where process has trumped culture, where the race toward efficiency has made us complacent and unable to reach our potential. Stuck in the land of status quo, we've forgotten how to think. And the very structures put in place to help businesses grow are now holding them back. It's time to Kill the Company. What this audiobook suggests is to SIMPLIFY by getting rid of things first rather than continually building on what doesn't work; a form of spring cleaning for your organization. Innovation specialist Lisa Bodell urges companies to question assumptions and to challenge rules that have outlived their time. Killing these status quo attitudes makes space for change and more value-added work, like thinking. Bodell tells us that these changes need not be one-size-fits-all initiatives that are forced upon employees. Instead, we need to embrace smaller, positive behavioral changes that create ripple effects throughout the organization. Too many change initiatives simply add another layer of processes to the to-do lists of already overwhelmed and tired employees. Not this one. Innovation is supposed to make things better, not worse, easier, not more complicated. Kill the Company is your guide for simplifying and streamlining, then building and maintaining a place where everyone's innovative spirit and energy fuel the long-term goals of your organization. A company that empowers its people to think critically, question relentlessly, and act boldly, to move from Zombies, Inc. to Think, Inc., will own the future.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Management, Buisness

Audio CD

First published May 15, 2012

About the author

Lisa Bodell is the founder and CEO of futurethink, an internationally recognized innovation research and training firm. Lisa founded her company on the principle that with the right knowledge and tools, everyone has the power to innovate. As a leading innovator and cognitive learning expert, she has devised training programs for hundreds of innovators at leading companies such as 3M, GE, and Johnson & Johnson. A respected thought leader on innovation topics, Bodell has appeared on FOX News, and in publications such as Crain’s, Business Week, The New York Times, WIRED, Investor’s Business Daily, Successful Meetings, Harvard Business Review, and The Futurist. She serves as an advisor on the boards of the Institute of Direct Marketing in London, The Women’s Congress, the Association of Professional Futurists, and the prestigious Institute of Triple Helix Innovation think tank. She has also taught at American University, Fordham University, and the American Management Association.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It had great ideas, with real case examples, on how to invoke change and alter behavior and thinking. I liked that they used a monolithic finserv example too, which I assume to be a tough industry to adapt.

[Serri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book and information to add to your personal toolkit of brainstorming best practices. I learned some new and fresh ideas and was reminded of other good ones I have seen in practice. I wish the author had used more examples of direct application and shared the successes generated by such application. For me that was the difference between giving the book 3 and 4 starts. There were great ideas I just would have liked to know in more depth if they had been used successfully. All in all, it inspired me to more regularly insert some brainstorming best practices into my schedule and meetings.

[Tre Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert: practical AND inspiring without the usual corporate-ese. This book has gotten a lot of press lately and I devoured it in a single weekend. Since then, I've found myself with a better grasp of innovation--utterly misused in advertising!--but also, a more enlightened approach to communicating with clients. Technically, it's a business book, but it's also showing me how to embrace fear, practice what I preach and objectively evaluate myself (and my work). Highly recommended.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best business book I've ever read. I'm ready with true practical application and I'm inspired by the possibilities this book puts forth. Not simply text but a great toolkit to take forward. Was lucky enough to see the author speak and she is empowering!

[Dan Lazaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional, strongly recommend to anyone NOW!

[Eric Mangol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book right now. Great book so far. http://bit.ly/Ny7fZz

[Eero Lehtimäki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the reading experience was a disappointment: there are lots of fantastic ideas but they are buried under annoying marketing of the author's own company. I wanted to read a book – not a 200-page advertisement.

Instead of just presenting an awesome idea, she writes something like "we have this cool method in MyCompanyName's Toolkit, and I call it the Method With A Cool Name. Everybody loves using the Method With A Cool Name tool!" This gave me an allergic reaction. It is possible that this style sounds better in non-Finnish ears. :)

[Cigno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for business leaders. Essentially, how can you create a company culture that is ripe for innovation? No fluff in this book. It is filled with real life examples, tools and exercises to spur creative thinking, and detailed explanations of when, where, why, and how to use the exercises outlined in the book.

[Omar El-Mohri · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance this does look what it is, this is why I hesitated to get the book, finally this is very interesting while it defies the status quo and the business as usual.
Many ways on how to be more aware of what's wrong and how to challenge it, and challenge everything that we once considered as a given way on how to conduct business.

[Glen Leavens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kill the company process is a thought on how to win in the future. How is our company venerable? Those on the inside know best. We have "stupid rules" at work. Here is how to kill them. Innovation starts with ending business the way we do it today.

[Mark Dembo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useable tools for innovation and transformation

This is a great book with immediately usable tools and techniques for innovation and organizational transformation. Highly readable and relevant.

[Malesia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to get the conversation started.

Great book to get the conversation started. Has a lot of exercises teams can go through to look at their company’s strategy differently.

[Christina Spriggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great brainstorming techniques.

[Thomas R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good tools

This book is excellent if you’re looking to simplify your organization and looking for some ideas and tools to get you started.

[Andrew Higgs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent approach to rethunking. Will be my new bible for advancement and hiw to get more ideas from my teams.

[Tyson K · Rating 2 out of 5]

mid book

[Doug White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book with a great reminder - greatness start with a sense of curiosity and asking the right questions. Nothing brand new but lots of great tools

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I would highly recommend! What I found refreshing about this book is that it goes beyond telling you that innovation is important to actually providing you the tools and solutions to innovate, making innovation very practical and actionable. There are helpful diagnostic exercises, useful examples, and a strong set of thought-provoking tools which are accessible and not-at-all daunting to use. A must-read book for those wanting to transform company culture!

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Loved the real world examples that author Lisa Bodell uses to further explain her creative and easy innovative exercises. Great explanation of certain situations and rules that really limit the flow of innovative thoughts in the work place. A highly recommended read!

[Ana Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Super practical, influential, well described, great examples, relevant, empowering! Great read for “Killing the Company” and bringing in success. So far, one of my favorite business books. Fantastic tips and definitely a book to keep in your toolkit.

[Jennise Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very very good book! A must read for anyone interested in reinventing business and the corporate world.

[Rob Rensman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing approach to kick start innovation in the zombie companies of our time: just kill the existing culture, processes and rules and you might find a way out.

[Sonja Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical, no nonsense corporate lingo advice and ideas. Can use this a lot in my work.