cover image BAN THE HUMOROUS BAZOOKA (and Avoid the Roadblocks and Speed Bumps Along the Innovation Highway)

BAN THE HUMOROUS BAZOOKA (and Avoid the Roadblocks and Speed Bumps Along the Innovation Highway)

Mark Henry Sebell, BAN THE HUMOROUS BAZOOKA (and Avoid the Roadblocks and Spee. , $25 (262pp) ISBN 978-0-7931-4108-1

The "humorous bazooka" identified by Sebell (who heads Creative Realities Inc., a consulting firm specializing in corporate innovation) is a joking comment designed to shoot down a colleague's idea. As Sebell explains, that's all too often what happens to new ideas: "We make fun of them. We point out every single problem." Such "innovation killers" are especially troubling in today's competitive global marketplace, the author declares, since innovation is now so crucial to a company's very survival. Sebell, whose clients have included AT&T, Citigroup and Starbucks, recommends that employees use a toy bazooka to fight back against criticism and force critics to explain their resistance to a new idea. As difficult as launching new ideas can be, Sebell points out that implementing them is even more difficult; just as individuals may deride unfamiliar approaches, organizational structures, too, tend to resist change. One of Sebell's more acute insights about overcoming organizational inertia is that the bazooka wielders are often the smartest people in the organization; if they aren't allowed to derail an idea, they can play a crucial role in its implementation. As the long, awkward title suggests, Sebell's style can be choppy, though most of his points are lucid and accessible. Cartoons, graphs and chapter summaries will help readers focus on key concepts, but too much of the text is abstract. The most concrete advice is buried in brief appendixes, which include rules for effective group interaction and exercises for fostering creativity. (Mar.)