After the first time I used Uber instead of a calling or hailing a cab, I knew that this uncomplicated app and these friendly drivers who were looking to brand a little extra money on the side would disrupt an industry that had not changed in decades. The cab manufacture has forever been Ubered. While the cab companies may fight back with legal action and bureaucracy, it's a lost cause unless they choose to Uber themselves and fundamentally shift the way people volume, pay for and engage with taxi drivers.

Blockbuster was disrupted by Netflix and Redbox. Starbucks disrupted the entire java manufacture. Apple disrupted the mobile phone, music and ... well, you go the idea.

Today, if you're not disrupting your industry, y'all're in danger of being disrupted. The "condition quo" just doesn't cut it when new ideas and innovative thinking are all effectually us. Sound intimidating? Overwhelming? Far also creative for your left-brained, analytical, operational, bottom-lined mind?

Fear not. You do not have to be built-in with innate creative abilities in lodge to disrupt. In fact, disruption doesn't happen with creativity and innovative thinking lone. Disruption only happens when great ideas can be put into action.

It turns out that Innovation tin can, in fact, be taught.

In their new volume, The Innovator's Method, Jeff Dyer and Nathan Furr outline the process innovators become through and the skills needed for companies to disrupt their industry. It starts with insight, or more specifically, "The ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas and put them together in new ways".

In the case of Uber, the idea that you could use the proximity or GeoLocation services of your mobile device to more efficently get a ride was the insight. Theodore Levitt in one case said, "People don't want to buy a quarter inch drill, they want to make a quarter inch hole". In the case ofUber, people didn't desire a cab-ride experience, they needed a fast and economical way to get around ... without a motorcar or waiting for public transportation.

Having an insight, however is not enough. You need to clearly define the problem: "What job needs to be done?" Before Uber, at that place were several attempts at making the taxi feel better. Apps such every bit "Taxi Magic" tried to reduce the hassle of knowing which cab visitor to call and ordering a cab. But that was the wrong prolem to solve if you want to disrupt the taxi industry. Apps like "Taxi Magic" were good, just they only slightly improved the existing process. Uber framed the problem better--"How do we reduce or eliminate the look time AND essentially reduce the cost of transportion?"

With the right framing of a problem, y'all can look for solutions and others who accept solved similar problems outside your detail industry. This leads to building the right business models and scale of the disruptive business organization.

Jeff Dyer and Nathan Furr'due south indicate is that this methologoy and associated "ah ha" moment isn't reserved for right-brain thinkers and artistic types. You can learn how to proceeds these insights and associations through diciplined questioning, observation and networking outside of your peer groups for breakthrough ideas.

Jeff Dyer recently gave a talk at the Harvard Concern Review Web log Network and gave specific company examples. While I'm not a big fan of slideware webinar presentations, the examples used were insightful and supported the premise and methodology outlined in their book. My favorite quote from Jeff Dyer during this webinar was, "Novel and useful ideas are non valuable until they are successfully implemented in your visitor."

That's really the signal. Disruption is not most having the best idea or even thinking differently near a trouble. It'south about successfully implementing ideas inside your company that lead to new, scalable business models. Having a neat thought is but i office of the equation. Information technology'southward the human action of delivering on a bang-up idea that is truly disruptive. So don't just introduce ... deliver on your vision and build a successful business model to ensure long-term viability.

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