George A. Ford

FOUR STEPS ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH

Innovation is imperative today. In the face of global competition and the explosion of technology, businesses must decipher the clues that unlock innovation potential. In the new ATD book Solving the Innovation Mystery: A Workplace Whodunit (ATD Press, October 2016), seasoned leadership authority and former FBI agent Steve Gladis solves the innovation equation.Innovation = Talent + Environment + Process. Gladis’s Solving the Innovation Mystery presents this formula for systematic innovation, paving a straight path to commercializing creative workplace solutions. Gladis’s clients at public companies, government agencies, and nonprofits rely on this methodology to remain productive and adaptive.The formula is simple. Take a promising idea; gather talented people who are cognitively diverse, engaged, and have a growth mindset; and put them in an environment that is safe, supportive, and purposeful. Then give them an effective and efficient process that is reliable and repeatable. This precise combination of coaching, problem solving, and entrepreneurial models works.Gladis’s innovation equation has been adapted by government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits of different missions and sizes. “The ‘Innovation Equation’ is simple in its components, but the potential it creates when applied is staggering,” writes ATD president and CEO Tony Bingham in his foreword to Solving the Innovation Mystery.Woven throughout the book is a detective start-up story of sorts to illustrate Gladis’s innovation thesis that a safe, trusting culture is essential for creativity to thrive and for innovation to take root.“It’s time to stop counting on eureka moments that may or may not come and examine the slower-moving truth about how innovation actually happens,” explains Gladis. Solving the Innovation Mystery presents the proven innovation equation that empowers any company to reliably and consistently innovate and adapt to change.Solving the Innovation Mystery is available to librarians, career centers, and other reviewers on NetGalley through October 31, 2016. Professors are invited to request a desk copy from the publisher at www.td.org/DeskCopy.About the AuthorA leadership speaker, author, and executive coach based in Fairfax, Virginia, Steve Gladis is an authority on the subject of leadership. CEO of Steve Gladis Leadership Partners, a leadership development company, he is the author of 21 books on leadership and a professor at George Mason University. His company works with businesses, associations, and U.S. government agencies, and he speaks regularly at conferences and corporate gatherings. A former faculty member at the University of Virginia, Gladis also served as an FBI special agent and was a decorated officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. His company donates a significant portion of corporate profits back to the community. Among his most recent books are Positive Leadership: The Game Changer at Work; Smile. Breathe. Listen: The 3 Mindful Acts for Leaders; and this, his latest, Solving the Innovation Mystery: A Workplace Whodunit.About the ATDThe Association for Talent Development (ATD), formerly ASTD, is the world’s largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations. These professionals help others achieve their full potential by improving their knowledge, skills, and abilities.ATD’s members come from more than 120 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports the work of professionals locally in more than 125 chapters, international strategic partners, and global member networks.

New ATD Book Offers Fuel for Corporate Innovation Engines

As a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, Cardinal Health provides customized solutions for hospital systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and physician offices worldwide. The company’s medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and other cost-effective solutions enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home.Backed by nearly 100 years of experience, the company depends on an inclusive learning culture for developing its more than 37,000 employees. Cardinal Health Chairman and CEO George Barrett attests: “We are committed deeply to talent development and believe this is the secret to competitive advantage.”In 2013, the organization identified mentorship as an area where it could expand and improve the effectiveness of employee development opportunities. Cardinal Health already had several mentorship programs in place to help connect employees across functional areas, but these groups were isolated or informal in nature. They struggled with unclear goals, a lack of resources to facilitate effective conversations, and little collaboration between programs.