Organization Structure & Intrepreneurs

There's been much discussion of late about the entrepreneurs within an organization--those highly valuable executives and team members who will perhaps never become a company founder, but who have learned to apply the essential principles of entrepreneurship to the roles they fill within a company. We refer to these employees as "intrapreneurs" because they're not entering into their own, work venture, but they are working within your company, thus the "intra" part (Jones, 2013).

Most of them actually are as our organization is employee owned. They are invaluable to the company's health. But how do organizations recognize and develop intrapreneurs, and, even more importantly, how can you be sure they won't leave? According to Jones (2013), that there are essential ways that will help to motivate and keep intrapreneurs.

Intrapreneurs certainly respect the value and importance of money. They understand the economic drivers that allow the organization to succeed and are able to support this fundamental truth and not fight it. A non-intrapreneur is perpetually looking for noneconomic ways to justify their own advancement and payment. An intrapreneur "gets it" and does their work in a way that shows the organization they are someone it can't afford to lose. The money and advancement finds them (Jones, 2013).

When you speak about an intriguing idea to an intrapreneur, the idea never leaves them. It germinates within their mind, and they carry with them the desire to figure out how to make it work. When you see them next, they are likely to have grown the seed of an idea into a full-blown plan or they will have created an even better set of alternative plans in its stead (Jones, 2013).

Intrapreneurs aren't afraid to change course, nor do they fear failure. It isn't outward bravado that drives them but an inner confidence and courage that every step takes them closer to their ultimate goal. In my own training and vernacular I call this phenomenon "failing up." I celebrate opportunities for growth, even painful ones (Jones, 2013).

Finally, Most importantly, intrapreneurs exhibit the traits of confidence and humility--not the maverick behavior of corporate hotshots. Integrity (along with Respect, Belief, and Courage) are key among the traits that I call them the seven non negiotables, which have driven companies towards miraculous accomplishments and are at the core of the methodology. A budding business person could carry every other characteristic in spades, but without a foundation of integrity, they will fail (and the work landscape is littered with many examples of such failures) (Jones, 2013).

Reference:

Jones, G. R. (2013). Organizational theory, design, and change. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.