I was recently lucky enough to be in Melbourne at the Australian Institute of Management breakfast where Stephen Lundin spoke about his new book: CATS: The Nine Lives of Innovation.
You would remember him as the author of the best-selling book FISH – A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results, which was inspired by the Pike Place Fishmarket in Seattle. Remember the message in FISH – To be there; Play; Make your day; Choose your attitude: simple but immensely powerful. The Pike Place Fishmarket, as a result of his book, is now an international tourist destination!
CATS his new book is the same: a simple but powerful message, communicated within an innovative framework through a fun process that makes the message of innovation accessible to all. So if innovation has always been a mystery, or even a threat, then this book is worth reading.
A cat, for Stephen and Jimmy Tan, his co-author, is “an everyday human being who learns to unleash his creative potential and develops the skills and knowledge fundamental to innovation,” those creative and imaginative people who are invaluable to any organization trapped. in the rapidity of change in the 21st century.
This book is a journey. It takes you through a discovery process. You need read go through it once and then go back and works to the end, or better yet, buy the attached workbook CATS: The Personal Guide. Organize and present the principles of innovation in such a way that you can understand and see what you need to learn and how you need to grow to be innovative. The basis of the book is the assumption that “all human beings are capable of amazing individual acts of innovation” that will improve their lives. In other words, we are all capable of becoming CATS.
However, what makes this book different from many of the readings I have done on innovation is that its message is that innovation begins with the individual and that it begins with being innovative in the ordinary and the small in our lives. That’s where the process of becoming a CAT begins. Innovative organizations are just organizations with many individual CATS supported by an experienced CAT that Stephen and Jimmy call a CAT Wrangler, a leader who knows “the difference between a meow and a purr.” You will have to read the book to find out what those types of leaders really are like!
The journey they take us on teaches us how to deal with the four challenges of innovation, live the nine CATS lives, and earn the five CAT Belts that tell us how successful we are as CAT and even what kind of CAT we are.
For Lundin and Tan, the four innovation challenges are:
1. Overcome our doubts and fears.
2. Go beyond “normal”.
3. Manage failure creatively.
4. Lead through change.
The nine lives are:
Life One: CATS overcome the mess of life.
Life Two: CATS are always prepared, especially for the unpredictable.
Life three: CATS know that innovation is not normal.
Life Four: CATS welcome real provocation.
Life Five: CATS promotes imaginary provocation.
Life Six: CATS say “How fascinating”!
Life Seven: CATS fail early and well.
Life Eight: CATS pounce on change.
Life Nine: CATS love GAT Wranglers.
Throughout the book there are practical examples and exercises to do, ways to become CAT, ways to innovatively deal with our lives, improving every aspect of them. However, towards the end, you can go for your CAT belts. There are five exercises to do, each of which requires some commitment and time. By completing each exercise, you will earn a CAT belt, going from level one to level five.
This book promises to have as great an impact as FISH. Like the back cover of Cats Says, “Innovation is about you, and how you decide to understand and use it will lead to a rich and productive life.”