Businesses small and large are desperate to find new ways to adapt to the changing marketplace and stay on the cutting edge. Companies have realized that they must have people in their organizations that think with a vision and are up to the challenge of breakthroughs, quality and exceptional service. “Entrepreneurial Thinking” can make this happen. The “Entrepreneurial Thinking” concept was designed to help individuals working within their organization to accomplish more and exceed their own expectations by taking ownership for results. It is based on research that identifies key entrepreneurial success factors that can benefit everyone at all levels within an organization. Whether it is healthcare, technology or real estate all industries strive to be more productive. However, companies don’t become more successful people do. After interviewing people from front line personnel to the CEO it is clear that the most successful companies place a high priority on employee development. Many of America’s largest and greatest corporations were founded by a single dedicated entrepreneur. Individuals have been responsible for building large organizations, yet as the company grows; too often the talent within the workplace gets stifled. The challenge is to get individuals within an organization to tap into their entrepreneurial talents for the benefit of their own success as well as the success of the organization. With the past and current trends of rightsizing and reorganizing, individuals often times live in fear of what is coming next. This fear has caused many workers to strike out on their own. But what about those who are still within the corporate environment feeling the brunt of more work with fewer people and leaving work each day less that satisfied. How do we motivate them toward the corporate vision? The truth is we don’t. They must learn to motivate themselves and create an entrepreneurial spirit for their own success and then be able to link it with the company vision and mission. In a survey of over 55,000 workers conducted by the Gallup Organization there were several attitudes that correlated strongly with higher profits. One of those attitudes was that the individuals made a direct connection between their work and the company’s mission. Focused vision is by far the key to getting individuals to take ownership. For years individuals in Corporate America were told here is who we are, what we believe and now here is how you need to think to be successful in this organization. The reality of course then led to a stifled environment that did not allow for future thinking. In many of the workshops that I conduct across the country I will ask the group “Who can tell me what the corporate mission statement is?” Almost always there are few if any hands up. One lady jumped up and said “Wait a minute, I think I have it on a plaque on my wall.” A gentleman said “Didn’t we get a coffee mug with the mission on it last year?” The bottom line is this: it doesn’t matter if it is on the wall or on a coffee mug if it is not linked in the hearts and minds of the individuals. How can organizations expect individuals to take ownership for results if the individuals don’t know where they fit into the corporate mission? Over the last decade organizations have tried to improve productivity through reorganizing and reengineering with little emphasis on the individual and the role they play in the future of the company. Many companies were left with low moral and flat productivity. The key is to allow individuals to define their personal bottom line, understand their personal mission and then learn to link it with the company mission and vision. The entrepreneur is the visionary in all of us. Knowledge and expertise are not enough to keep pace with today’s rapidly changing world. Today, you must find new ways to stay focused, maintain energy and relentlessly seek out ways to achieve your own personal mission and vision for your future. A number of “Entrepreneurial Thinking Factors” have been designed to assist organizations in developing their greatest resource,their people! Allowing individuals to further develop their talent, utilize their creativity, think with a vision and still see the value of contributing to the team makes accomplishment inevitable. Listed above are the “Entrepreneurial Thinking” success traits that make up the “E-T Factor:” Jodi Walker is president of Success Alliances, a professional training and development company. For more information email: [email protected].
