Become Entrepreneurial Within

Remaster the Employee Mindset

The author discusses ways to engage staff and develop the inner-entrepreneurial spirit.

The traditional workplace, as we know it, has become obsolete and does not fit into today’s working culture and the demands of modern staff and employees.  Today, the college graduate and individuals in their first few years of employment strive to be more than their current titles suggest.  The issue though, is that today’s staff are restricted to just that, titles.  Their entrepreneurial spirit is diminished to job descriptions and lack of invited involvement by upper management.

Titles come with a set of requirements, benchmarks, and often restricted to job descriptions generically placed to each standard title.  Those individuals seeking to go beyond the job description and fulfill their desire of entrepreneurship disrupt the fabric of the traditional workplace and the status quo of job descriptions.  Managers and senior managers rooted in “old ways” along with the lack of change or diversity suddenly are knocked off their routine of their habitual day in and day out motions to complete work.  Often, this can lead to a negative and aggravated response by managers leaving somewhat of a bitter after taste.

For those new college graduates and employees who wish to be more than what their title restricts them to, these individuals should be applauded and nurtured to not only master their current roles, but to allow them to strive through new responsibilities and established career goals.

Mindset—Entrepreneurial Within

Many of us strive to work for ourselves or to create the next big idea to hit the market.  What tends to hinder us though is our appetite for risk.  Depending on how much we are willing to risk, we tend to consider the perks and safety of remaining within our current positions.  We may weigh the pros and cons to staying within a firm and being on our own.  We may say that, “If I leave, I could potentially make more money, but that’s not guaranteed.”, or, “I do have a salary and health insurance within my current position; I would lose it otherwise.”

It is even more imperative today, that we do not forget why we believe ourselves to be entrepreneurs.  Therefore, if your appetite for risk does not crave the challenges of sole proprietorships and start-ups, then consider becoming entrepreneurial within.

Entrepreneurial within is not only a state of mind, but it removes those restrictive job descriptions from the functionality of your daily life.  Although, still responsible for the basic requirements of your position, do not hesitate to continue being creative, striving for efficiency, or marketing yourself.  Essentially, we should build our own reputations through mastering current responsibilities and striving to introduce productivity, efficiency, and business into our current roles.

Be sure to review your employee handbook and seek out benefits to marketing and business development.  Often you may encounter that employees may share in the billings of work generated through referral and marketing efforts.

Becoming an entrepreneur within your firm can take several forms, but most importantly, you can begin developing a specialized focus, innovative procedures, and improvement on current processes.  If your company provides a service, do not hesitate to begin marketing yourself, networking, and making life-long relationships and connections with new people within the same industry.  As the saying goes, “as you grow, they grow”, leading to new opportunities and an established trust with those you have networked with.

By changing your efforts to becoming entrepreneurial within, you can feel the benefits of all that entrepreneurship can give while utilizing the firm’s infrastructure and marketing tools.  It becomes unnecessary to utilize your own capital to market yourself and generate new business.

Where to Begin

Unlike traditional entrepreneurship, your path will be based upon the goals set forth by you and your firm.  The following is a checklist of key steps to take:

1. Find a mentor:
   A mentor is key to your growth and development.  This person should have a sufficient number of years within your industry with experience in not only the work performed, but should carry experience in generating revenues, marketing, networking, and mentoring.  Your growth and development is shaped by the learning processes and transfer of knowledge from your mentor.

2. Develop a long-term goal:
   It is necessary to have a vision of your future as an internal entrepreneur.  By setting a long-term goal, the work performed has meaning.  If your goal is accomplished, it is only best to continue setting new goals.

3. Set short term career goals to achieve the long-term goals:
   Short term goals are only stepping stones to your ultimate long-term goal.  Each stepping stone should enhance your work experience, character, and reputation within your department and firm.  These goals can range from hosting events, attending marketing events, networking, giving back, and obtaining new work experience in different fields.

4. Obtain any appropriate certifications or continued education:
   If a certification is associated to your industry and line of work, it is suggested that you obtain the designation.  For instance, an accountant without a CPA may never be promoted to management.  This is a common practice among many firms today.

5. Offer to volunteer and assist in marketing events:
   Marketing events allow you to not only promote your firm, but also allow you to potentially meet new clients or to build new working relationships and synergies with other professionals.

6. Request informal reviews:
   Informal reviews show that you are interested in your own personal development and offer you the opportunity to continue improving your work and fixing behaviors that you may have not been aware of.  Showing initiative is an important variable of becoming successful.

7. Maintain a self-review:
   Often your superiors may forget what projects or work you have performed and how well it was performed.  For instance, if you are a staff or senior who has gone above and beyond to complete a project with little to no supervision or performed the work in a more efficient and innovative way.  It is best to document those efficiencies and successes as a reminder during informal and formal review processes.  A self-review will help you guide your review process and meeting with HR and your superiors.

8. Hold yourself accountable for achieving short-term goals:
   Being an entrepreneur in general takes work.  Your mentor and colleagues may not always hold you accountable for your goals.  Effort, initiative, and personal drive will help you achieve these goals.  Find what makes you feel entrepreneurial and remind yourself of your goals.

9. Join a professional organization or group:
   Joining a professional group, such as Business Network International, allows you to market your name and reputation at an early stage in your career.  It can help you meet new and potential clients, as well as develop long-term synergies and business relationships.

10. Maintain a positive attitude throughout:
    There is always time when your goals seem to be taking too long.  Remember this: there is a large amount of people not willing to take these steps to becoming entrepreneurial, but you have the courage to do so.  A setback is only a setback, but continuing to persevere through the upsets will allow you to strengthen your resolve and contribute to your successes.

Although the above list may seem intuitive, combining these steps into cohesive action will assist in removing yourself from the shackles of the traditional employee mindset and instead jump start a new way of thinking.

Marlon Balogh, CFE

Mr. Balogh can be contacted at (646) 306-6035 or by e-mail to Balogh.marlon@gmail.com.