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Intrapreneurship: How to retain the intrapreneur
How to retain the intrapreneur
An intrapreneur is a person who has an entrepreneurial mindset but is employed by a company to drive innovative ideas and projects within their business. Yet many companies fail to retain their talented intrapreneurs.
By Diane Boorman, business enabler, mentor and founder at Brand Analytics
These individuals are primed to see new opportunities and investigate changes to policy, technology or systems that will improve the functioning of a company or develop innovative new products and services. Yet, they often find themselves getting bored or at odds with the very company who hired them. Having been an intrapreneur myself I know first-hand the struggle companies face. Today, I feel sorry for my bosses as I pushed against every boundary, every rule and every corporate policy in my career. In those days, working for yourself just was not an option: you had to get a job and earn a salary. While I was highly successful and worked on amazing projects, not having the freedom to experiment drove me to leave formal employment. The reality is, there is a lot employers could do to retain staff. Here are some of these ideas:
Support their growth through skills development or training Intrapreneurs who are not using their full capacity will get bored. They are always looking for new ideas and the next thing to develop. They are quick minded and therefore need stimulation. If they don’t find it within your organisation, they will find it outside. Allow them to take leadership and personal development courses and learn new skills. If they have learnt as much as they can in a one department, move them to another. If they are getting bored, find another path for them in your company – it is better to harness their drive and energy than to lose them all together.
“Intrapreneurs should be challenged; push them out of their comfort zones and you will see them grow. “ Share new ideas and information Creative thinking is the cornerstone of intrapreneurship, so find a way to push them into a space to spark creativity and big sky ideas. Share new and interesting information with them often; an intrapreneur will absorb ideas vigorously, thinking continually about them to see how they can be practically applied.
Create social opportunities Intrapreneurs love meeting new people and interacting with others. When looking for volunteers to participate in business events or activities, look no further than the intrapreneur; they will always put their hands up.
Manage expectations Ensure expectations and budgets are explained from the beginning. An intrapreneur will go all out often coming up with big ideas which can break the budget, so it is important to set expectations up front. Let them know what is and what is not flexible. If a budget can be exceeded, explain the criteria that have to be met before it can be considered. T his will stop the individual wasting time and energy on an idea that will never come to fruition.
Time management The intrapreneur gives everything to their job, they will work long hours, often getting lost in the pleasure their work brings them. Make sure they are managing their time well and balancing their work/life; the last thing you want is a burnt out intrapreneur on your hands.
Push them outside their comfort zones Intrapreneurs should be challenged; push them out of their comfort zones and you will see them grow. Don’t let feelings of complacency set in; usually there are two things keeping a person in their comfort zone: fear and goals. When you notice complacency of any form, push the intrapreneur to set new, challenging goals or help them uncover any fears that may be limiting them. T he intrapreneur grows quickly, so expect fast reaction to your efforts and watch them bloom. n
About Diane Boorman Diane Boorman’s life’s work as an avid business enabler and mentor, founder and CEO of her business, Brand Analytics, evolves daily around working on innovative business opportunities with her clients, business owners that are inspired by her guidance and the opening of doors to activate growth in their businesses.
Boorman draws from her business, monitoring and marketing communications studies, and her 21 years of business experience that ranges from start-ups to corporate and government. Her clients benefit greatly from her wealth of knowledge, tested and proven business programmes on how to take a business to the next level. As a committee member, she has recently been nominated and appointed as the chairperson for Small Business Development for the Cape Chamber 2019. She was nominated for the Regional Businesswoman of Year Award Emerging Entrepreneur 2018, the Fair Lady Women of The Future 2019 and Woman of the Year Awards 2019. Diane is the co-host a radio talk show on OneFm radio, BizBoost.
Follow Diane Boorman on social media @brandanalytics and @dianeboorman. Contact her at diane@brandanalytics.co.za.
HELPING ENTREPRENEURS CREATE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY CREATE JOBS.
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