In our quest to improve business processes, we are constantly reading and looking for new sources that add value and improve functionality to Maximus. Books that showcase new ways of thinking or that portray ideas in new ways are ideal for adapting our business design. Here are the top three reads right now that we are utilising at Maximus. They focus on the principles of design thinking to enable our business to adapt to changing markets and offer services that fit customer needs. These reads are not only applicable in a business sense but can also change the way you perceive sitons on a day-to-day basis.
Designing for Growth is a great resource for Leaders looking to introduce more innovation into their workplace and enable people to work with the concepts of design thinking. It’s basically a book of thought provoking, powerful questions. My career in Consulting has taught me to value the ability to ask great questions. Like the authors, I feel the workplace would be a whole lot more interesting if we approached business possibilities with a stronger design mind-set. I would love to see more ‘what is’ questions and less ‘why it can’t work’ responses.
Value Proposition Design is the sequel to the popular, Business Model Generation (part of the Strategyzer Series). These guys create great resources! So much so, I picked up a copy of Value Proposition Design when it was released. It is a great visual tool for helping businesses create compelling services (or products) that are connected their customers’ needs and wants. Sounds logical, but we so often get this wrong. There are some tools Leaders can lift out and put into practice in their world such as the Value Proposition Canvas. It also covers skills such as entrepreneurial knowledge, tool skills, design thinking skills, customer empathy and experimentation skills to enable one to invent new value proposition that people want. If you lead markets, customers and/or product portfolios, this is one book you should have in your toolkit.
Well Designed is another useful resource for looking at products, markets and behaviours in different ways. It is not as visual as Value Proposition Design but gets at similar needs through a different lens. It’s another useful tool for Leaders looking to get more immersed with their customers and create positive distance from their competitors.
So, don’t let the concept scare you, design thinking can be quickly learned. Like developing any new skill, it is a little ‘clunky’ at first, but after some practice, you will generate far more unique and innovative ideas and you will feel more fulfilled in the process.
Enjoy the reads!
