The Business Model Innovation Factory. How to Stay Relevant When The World is Changing

A comprehensive look at the promise and potential of online learning In our digital age, students have dramatically new learning needs and must be prepared for the idea economy of the future. In Getting Smart, well-known global education expert Tom Vander Ark examines the facets of educational innovation in the United States and abroad. Vander Ark makes a convincing case for a blend of online and onsite learning, shares inspiring stories of schools and programs that effectively offer «personal digital learning» opportunities, and discusses what we need to do to remake our schools into «smart schools.» Examines the innovation-driven world, discusses how to combine online and onsite learning, and reviews «smart tools» for learning Investigates the lives of learning professionals, outlines the new employment bargain, examines online universities and «smart schools» Makes the case for smart capital, advocates for policies that create better learning, studies smart cultures

The Upside of Aging: How Long Life Is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy and Purpose explores a titanic shift that will alter every aspect of human existence, from the jobs we hold to the products we buy to the medical care we receive – an aging revolution underway across America and the world. Moving beyond the stereotypes of dependency and decline that have defined older age, The Upside of Aging reveals the vast opportunity and potential of this aging phenomenon, despite significant policy and societal challenges that must be addressed. The book’s chapter authors, all prominent thought-leaders, point to a reinvention and reimagination of our older years that have critical implications for people of all ages. With a positive call to action, the book illuminates the upside for health and wellness, work and volunteerism, economic growth, innovation and education. The authors, like the baby boom generation itself, posit new ways of thinking about aging, as longevity and declining birthrates put the world on track for a mature population of unprecedented size and significance. Among topics they examine are: The emotional intelligence and qualities of the aging brain that science is uncovering, “senior moments” notwithstanding. The new worlds of genomics, medicine and technology that are revolutionizing health care and wellness. The aging population’s massive impact on global markets, with enormous profit potential from an explosion in products and services geared toward mature consumers. New education paradigms to meet the needs and aspirations of older people, and to capitalize on their talents. The benefits that aging workers and entrepreneurs bring to companies, and the crucial role of older people in philanthropy and society. Tools and policies to facilitate financial security for longer and more purposeful lives. Infrastructure and housing changes to create livable cities for all ages, enabling “aging in place” and continuing civic contribution from millions of older adults. The opportunities and potential for intergenerational engagement and collaboration. The Upside of Aging defines a future that differs profoundly from the retirement dreams of our parents and grandparents, one that holds promise and power and bears the stamp of a generation that has changed every stage of life through which it has moved.

It is widely-believed that China's entrepreneur class has grown and their businesses are succeeding primarily due to their knowledge of the domestic market, quick adaptation to market changes, and their resourcefulness. But innovation? Forget about it. Well, not quite. Drawing on a wealth of on-the-ground stories and thorough research, Chinnovation: How Chinese Innovators Are Changing the World shows how Chinese companies of every stripe have dispelled this myth and overcome the barriers to successful, profitable innovation. How did Neil Shen, co-founder of CTRIP Capital China, see the opportunity for a Chinese travel site? How did Ray Zhang, CEO of Ehi, scale up one of the most innovative hybrid car-rental companies in China? How did Zhang Tao, CEO of Dianping, start a ZAGAT-inspired user-review site for restaurants and establish a continuous process of innovation? Yinglan Tan has spent more than five years learning the secrets of Chinese innovators, a fast-growing subculture playing key roles in China's transformative transition from «Made in China» to «Innovated in China.» Learn: What is the path that an innovative Chinese private-owned enterprise take? How blue-chip innovators remix business models successfully in China? What are the capabilities that these innovative companies acquire? How they harness the necessary resources and navigate around legal restrictions? How do they attract, train and retain talent? How do these companies experiment with innovative approaches and also manage the risk of innovation? What are the lessons learnt and how would these entrepreneurial innovators advise others who are embarking on the same journey? China's rapid economic growth has made it a crucial market but multinational corporations are now competing with China's own homegrown businesses. Chinnovation: How Chinese Innovators Are Changing The World uncovers the common threads amongst Chinese entrepreneurs as they reach into a wider world.

Innovation isn't something you do after you get your work done. It's how you do your work. Organizations all over the world are shedding jobs in record numbers. Yet today, they are desperately in need of people with the abilities and skills to think ahead of the curve, delight customers, motivate colleagues, slash costs, and achieve unconventional results. In this practical road map to becoming irreplaceable, global innovation guru and bestselling author Robert B. Tucker reveals why honing your I-Skills (Innovation Skills) may be the smartest career move you'll make. Based on interviews with forty-three innovation-adept managers and individual contributors, Innovation Is Everybody's Business guides you in: Mastering the seven essential I-Skills you need to become indispensable Unleashing the “mindset, skillset, and toolset of the innovator” that enable you to anticipate and rise to the challenges your organization faces in a hypercompetitive era Developing your Personal Innovation Strategy to address the critical components of becoming irreplaceable Assaulting your assumptions at the personal, organizational, and industry levels Building tools for work-life balance and creating your own job satisfaction If you're ready to stop talking about innovation and start adding value today – in your job, department or organization – you're ready to read and benefit from the powerful message of Innovation is Everybody's Business.

The best thinking and actions in the fast-moving arena of collaboration and knowledge management The New Edge in Knowledge captures the most practical and innovative practices to ensure organizations have the knowledge they need in the future and, more importantly, the ability to connect the dots and use knowledge to succeed today. Build or retrofit your organization for new ways of working and collaboration by using knowledge management Adapt to today's most popular ways to collaborate such as social networking Overcome organization silos, knowledge hoarding and «not invented here» resistance Take advantage of emerging technologies and mobile devices to build networks and share knowledge Identify what can be learned from Facebook, Twitter, Google and Amazon to make firms and people smarter, stronger and faster Straightforward and easy-to-follow, this is the resource you'll turn to again and again to get-and stay-in the know. Plus, the book is filled with real-world examples – the case studies and snapshots of how best practice companies are achieving success with knowledge management. Praise for The New Edge in Knowledge: How Knowledge Management is Changing the Way We Do Business “You may think you know knowledge management, but this is new—how knowledge initiatives can incorporate social media, mobile technologies, and learning, for example. This book integrates the new knowledge management with the best of the old, such as communities of practice and measurement. KM still matters, and this book tells you why.” —Thomas H. Davenport, President’s Distinguished Professor of IT and Management, Babson College «Over the last decade, knowledge management has emerged as a key success factor for the modern corporation, driven by tremendous advances in business analytics. This book studies the best practices in knowledge management and how leadership companies are applying them today.» —Virginia M. Rometty, Senior Vice President and Group Executive Sales, Marketing and Strategy, IBM “APQC has been on the leading edge of knowledge management for almost two decades. O’Dell and Hubert have captured those best practices and created a road map to transform the way people work. Reap the benefits of their experience.” —C. Jackson Grayson, Chairman and Founder, APQC and co-author of If Only We Knew What We Know “The New Edge in Knowledge is a useful how-to manual that takes best practice sharing and organizational capability building to the next level: Web 2.0, social networking, mobility, and communities of practice. National and international examples show how companies can create strategic alignment and systematic management to transfer knowledge rapidly and effectively.” —Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor and author of SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good «What has made our KM program strong is sticking to the fundamentals– that's exactly what this book outlines. It provides trusted advisor guidance on how any company or organization can take the concrete steps to create and implement a world class KM strategy.» —Dan Ranta, Director of Knowledge Sharing, ConocoPhillips “Carla O'Dell and Cindy Hubert have written an amazingly down to earth, useful and practical book on knowledge management and its importance to modern business. Starting with the distinction between information and knowledge, they provide a viewpoint that leaves IT in the dust. Read it to prepare for tomorrow's world!” —A. Gary Shilling, President, A. Gary Shilling & Co., Inc. “

As you might expect from a company responsible for renting so many thrillers, there’s rarely a dull moment at LOVEFiLM. From start-up, through mergers and fast paced growth, culminating in a takeover by an internet giant, few corporate adventures encapsulate the archetypal modern business story as neatly as that of LOVEFiLM. In the 6 years from inception to the defining deal with Amazon, the company underwent a near constant process of change and evolution. They simply didn’t sit still for a minute. As the chief executive who guided LOVEFiLM through these fast-paced times, Simon Calver tells the story of how they grew the company from a series of small start-ups into a multi-million pound enterprise and well-love household name. Calver offers his personal insights and key lessons on everything from how to manage spectacular growth, to the importance of taking big risks and how small entrepreneurial companies can benefit from big companies thinking. Success the LOVEFiLM Way is an essential read for anybody who wants to start and grow a successful business, and learn how to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing and growing industry. “The LOVEFiLM story offers interesting insights into the way modern businesses, and particularly those backed by venture capital, succeed. There are useful lessons for anyone looking to start or grow a business using this route. Simon Calver explains both the challenges and opportunities that VC funding raises. Calver is right to describe this as the classic modern business story.” Alex Mitchell, Head of Influencer Relations, IoD “The LOVEFiLM story was a great read. It’s honest, insightful and very entertaining. It shows most importantly the power of leadership to create an exceptional company. Frankly, everyone in the UK needs to read this book right now.” Julie Meyer, Managing Partner, ACE Fund “I met Simon at the annual Real Business awards in 2009, and was delighted when he asked King of Shaves to become a founding member of The Consumer Forum – an association of SME’s that put the customer first. The success of LOVEFiLM, and his leadership of this disrupting business, was entirely down to his ‘putting customers first’ – by giving them what they wanted, when they wanted it, always embracing the latest in cutting edge technology. Firstly by sending the latest film releases through the post, and now by it streaming on demand. I’ve been lucky enough to spend personal quality time with him, and now you can learn how he helped LOVEFiLM grow so astonishingly, in a constantly changing digital environment. If you Lovefilm, and LoveCustomers, then you’ll Love this book!” Will King, Founder, King of Shaves “The LOVEFiLM story shows the importance of organizational agility, trust and the relentless focus of taking customers, stakeholders and employees with you on your journey. Above all it demonstrates the importance of understanding what you do and why you do it, and why it’s important to have a business model that delivers for the customer and the business.” Jo Causon, CEO, Institute of Customer Service “It took Simon’s dedicated hard work bringing together a series of smaller businesses to make LOVEFiLM one of the true internet success stories. In Simon Calver’s book, he shares his business philosophies that led LOVEFiLM to the successful takeover by Amazon. The book is not just a compelling narrative, but lessons that all businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from.” Mar

How to win market leadership in a fast-changing world In the past, companies could pick a strategy and stick with it, maintaining a competitive edge for years. But today, companies surge ahead, fall behind, or even disappear in mere months. If you and your company are going to thrive for the long run, you need to continuously evolve, change, and stay a step ahead of your competition. The ability to see and capitalize on new opportunities is the cornerstone of agility. Successful technology-based firms like Google, Tesla, and Amazon have all mastered agility within their core business practices, but companies in any sector can—and must—learn to spot new opportunities and make the right choices about what to invest in, what to change, and what to abandon. The Agility Advantage first shows how to identify those aspects of your business where agility is most crucial—where the business environment is changing fast—and which elements have the greatest impact on the customer’s decision to buy. Amanda Setili then shows how to master the three components of agility: Market agility: Gain ideas from your most demanding and forward-thinking customers and from outside your industry. Engage, observe, and mix with customers to identify the opportunities created by their changing demands. Decision agility: Anticipate the changes that may affect you and turn even troubling trends into opportunities. Design your strategy to maximize learning and to manage risk. Generate diverse alternatives and make fast, fact-based decisions about which to pursue. Execution agility: Build new capabilities, shed what doesn’t fit, and take the first steps in a new direction. Experiment, then reinforce and build on what works. Enlist and inspire your organization around a compelling purpose and grant employees the autonomy and resources to continuously adapt and adjust course. The future will present more opportunities but narrower windows to capture them. With a wealth of valuable information and practical strategies, The Agility Advantage is essential reading to help any organization adapt and thrive—both today and tomorrow.

BOUNCE BACK FROM WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU Stressful situations are a fact of life. Job insecurity, financial burden, relationship doubt are all too familiar. Some people approach them with confidence and poise, facing change and challenges head on. Others back away slowly into a corner and become quivering wrecks at the mere thought of them. So what is it that makes some people cope with these adverse situations so well? It’s not about what is happening to you, but how you react to it. It’s about your resilience. Happiness guru Liggy Webb is here to help us all find positivity and inner strength to cope with stressful situations. Arming you with a personal toolkit to handle day to day challenges, and providing strategies for thriving in uncertain times Liggy shows you how to increase your ‘bouncibility’ and bounce back from whatever negative things life throws at you. • Timely topic with governments across the world promoting happiness on the one hand and dealing with vast economic uncertainty and austerity on the other • Easy to digest, anecdotal and practical guide with lots of common sense advice • Contains timely examples and tips tailored for coping with difficult times

The 2R Manager will make you a better manager–immediately.It offers specific advice tailored to each individual's current management style. You will take some self-surveys, see the results, and learn the impact you now have on those you manage. You ll learn what changes you must make and how to make them. Managers have naturally either a Relating or a Requiring style. Those who naturally require are weaker at relating–sometimes much weaker–and vice versa. The best managers possess the ability to do both well and know when to choose one over the other. Most managers miss opportunities. Some try to be their employee's friend when they need to be setting priorities and deadlines. Others, thinking they have the answers, miss getting new ideas and destroy their employees motivation. Having the ability to relate and require is fundamental for effective managing. Whether you want to improve how you now manage people or create a management-training alternative that can help reduce time and costs, you will find what you're looking for in The 2R Manager.

Principles for driving significant change throughout an entire system Drawing on the knowledge and experience of working with hundreds the world's top social change leaders in all fields, Beverly Schwartz presents a model for change based on five proven principles that any individual leader or organization can apply to bring about deep, lasting and systematic change. Rippling shows how to activate the type of change that is needed to address the critical challenges that threaten to destroy the foundations of our society and planet in these increasingly turbulent times. These actionable principles are brought to life by compelling real-life stories. Schwartz provides a road map that allows anyone to become a changemaker. Presents some of today's most innovative and effective approaches to solving social and environmental challenges Offers a vision of social entrepreneurs as role models, catalysts, enablers and recruiters who spread waves system changing solutions throughout society The author offers a model of change that begins with the end result in mind First book from an insider at Ashoka, the foremost global organization on social change through social entrepreneurship Rippling clearly demonstrates how and when empathy, creativity, passion, and persistence are combined; significant, life-altering progress is indeed possible.