Audiobooks by Jeff DeGraff

The Art of Change: Transforming Paradoxes into Breakthroughs

Are you stuck in a rut, unable to create meaningful change in your life or organization? The Art of Change is the solution you've been searching for. Written by Jeff and Staney DeGraff, founders of the consulting firm Innovatrium, this book provides a masterclass in sustainable transformation. This masterclass in sustainable transformation includes strategies for challenging your biases and embracing ambiguity; thought-provoking insights from over thirty years of experience coaching Fortune 500 executives; real-world examples and deeply personal anecdotes; and proven, pragmatic techniques to reshape your mindset and habits. But this isn't just another lecture on change management theory. With candor and vulnerability, the Degraffs share deeply personal anecdotes that underscore how growth often emerges from resilience in the face of failure. You'll discover how to harness the power of paradoxical thinking, challenge your biases, and embrace ambiguity as a catalyst for innovation. Whether you're an individual looking to level up or a leader tasked with evolving your organization, The Art of Change is your roadmap to breaking free from stagnation and unlocking your full potential.

Jeff DeGraff, Staney DeGraff (Author), Barry Abrams (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Creative Mindset: Mastering the Six Skills That Empower Innovation

"Jeff and Staney emphasize that small acts of creativity can have huge consequences and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they can see the opportunities in front of them." -Mitch Jacobson, Executive Director, Austin Technology Incubator, UT Blackstone LaunchPad, University of Texas at Austin Nearly all of today's major innovation workshops and programs call on organizations to drive innovation. What they miss is that innovation comes from the personal creativity of individuals. And creativity doesn't require an advanced education or technical skills-all employees can be creative. Often, all they lack is a fitting mindset and the right skills. The Creative Mindset brings how-to advice, tools, and techniques from two master innovators who have taught and worked with over half of all Fortune 500 companies. Jeff and Staney DeGraff introduce six essential creative-thinking skills that can be easily mastered with limited practice and remembered as the acronym CREATE: Concentrate, Replicate, Elaborate, Associate, Translate, and Evaluate. These six skills, sequenced as steps, simplify and summarize the most important research on creative thinking and draw on over thirty years of real-world application in some of the most innovative organizations in the world. It's time to rethink the way we make innovation happen. Individual creativity is an immense untapped resource, and you don't have to be Beethoven to make a big difference. As the spirit of chef Gusteau proclaims in the Pixar classic Ratatouille, "Anyone can cook."

Jeff DeGraff, Jeff Degraff, Staney DeGraff, Staney Degraff (Author), Caroline Miller (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Innovation Code: The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict

Innovation comes from creative tension, not harmonious interaction, says Dean of Innovation Jeff DeGraff. He identifies four basic approaches to innovation and shows how leaders can manage the inevitable conflicts between them to create brilliant, unexpected hybrid solutions.The Innovation Code The Creative Power of Constructive Conflict Harmony is sublime in music but deadly to innovation. The only way to create new, hybrid solutions is to clash. Innovation happens when we bring people with contrasting perspectives and complementary areas of expertise together in one room. We innovate best with people who challenge us, not people who agree with us. It sounds like a recipe for chaos and confusion. But in The Innovation Code, Jeff DeGraff, dubbed the "Dean of Innovation," and Staney DeGraff introduce a simple framework to explain the ways different kinds of thinkers and leaders can create constructive conflict in any organization. This positive tension produces ingenious solutions that go far beyond "the best of both worlds." Drawing on their work with nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, the DeGraffs help you harness the creative energy that arises from opposing viewpoints. They identify four contrasting styles of innovator-the Artist, the Engineer, the Athlete, and the Sage-and include exercises and assessments for building, managing, and embracing the dynamic discord of a team that contains all four. You can also figure out where you fit on the continuum of innovator archetypes. Using vivid examples, The Innovation Code offers four steps to normalize conflict and channel it to develop something completely new. By following these simple steps, you will get breakthrough innovations that are both good for you and your customers. This is a rigorous but highly accessible guide for achieving breakthrough solutions by utilizing the full-and seemingly contradictory-spectrum of innovative thinking.

Jeff DeGraff, Staney DeGraff (Author), Tom Dheere (Narrator)

Audiobook

Innovation You

In today 's frenetic, uncertain world, the 'same old, same old' routines are perfect ways to go nowhere fast. What has worked for you before professionally or personally no longer gets results. Whether you 've been downsized, reached the end of a long relationship, or found yourself questioning where you are in life, it 's clear you need to change. To innovate. Make it new. Make yourself new. Now, in this invaluable book, the world-renowned 'Dean of Innovation,' Jeff DeGraff, shares his tried-and-true techniques on how to reinvent yourself creatively and with maximum impact. Innovation You reveals DeGraff 's unique four-step program to bolster your ingenuity and remake your life. From forging ahead in a new career to losing weight to finally pursuing that long-held dream, DeGraff 's strategies are effective and easy to follow. Inside you will learn to • Rethink Innovation: Find ways to think outside the box, seek out diverse opinions, and pay attention to the next great trend. • Rethink Your Approach: Use the Competing Values Framework to identify your natural innovation profile do you compete, collaborate, create, or control? and then deliberately draw from the other styles to augment your usual tactics. • Rethink Your Methods: Put your reinvention plan in motion set specific, realistic, and meaningful targets, cultivate relationships with relevant mentors and experts, and try alternate methods to achieve your goals. • Rethink the Journey: Understand that innovation is a process and that progress comes in cycles rather than a quick straight line. Accept uncertainty, question assumptions, and acknowledge areas where you can improve. Full of invigorating ideas, engaging anecdotes, practical wisdom, and inspiring success stories, Innovation You is your personal road map to reach your highest potential and experience a bold new way of living. From the Hardcover edition.

Jeff DeGraff (Author), Jeff DeGraff (Narrator)

Audiobook