The dimension of small and large corporate establishments is evolving with every passing date, and most of them are focusing on more and more entrepreneurial employees.
The job of an entrepreneur is easier said than done- and their main motto is to move against the tide and create something new. Intrapreneurs are passionate people who are always diving into the sea of innovation to help the companies become better- and push them to the culmination point of success.
Most people believe that this segment of people can foretell the future and act accordingly. Does that mean that they never commit mistakes or they never face any hurdles? That is far from the truth. In fact, the renowned Intrapreneur Mario Aguilar is not hesitant about confessing the nine mistakes he has made as an intrapreneur – and he is not the only one to have committed them! Today’s discussion will be in intricate detail about the landmines you can avoid and how to do the same.
You can either follow the advice and stay away from the explosive failures or learn it yourself. So why not stay glued till the end so that you don’t have any loopholes for regret?
Trusting Too Much Too Early
No matter how good the profile of an individual is, trusting too soon might call for regrets. The person might have a humongous history of success or might approach you with an excellent CV. But that does not guarantee an element of loyalty from the person. Take ample time to judge your new teammate before you divulge all the trade secrets with them.
Now you must be thinking- ‘how soon is TOO SOON?’. You can find out the answer all by yourself if you consider some essential factors- ‘how good is the attitude of the newbie?’ ‘how responsible is he/she?’
Assign them with some basic, trivial tasks, and keep surveillance on the progress. Take baby steps in trusting any individual instead of taking a significant leap. Of course, you would not want any confidential breach with vital information of the organization. In addition, if you trust too early, you might end up with ludicrous whispering campaigns and the imperfect finishing of a significant task. As a result, you will have to redo the entire task from scratch.
Telling People’ What To Do’ Only
Most people make the mistake of going around telling their subordinates what they need to do rather than why it needs to be done. Sometimes, there is even a hint of dictation in the tone, forcing them to run for the destination.
The end goal becomes a priority, and those working on the project do not enjoy the journey anymore. It is only when you start collaborating on the ‘what’ and ‘why’ that you can expect better productivity and troubleshooting. Imagine someone telling you- ‘do this, ‘do that’- without telling you why you should do it.
Would you like to follow the task blindly and enjoy doing it? Of course not, right? But if someone gives you proper reasoning, you can grasp the direction and do everything that you can to make things perfect.
Pushing The Founder(s) Off Your Mind
Imagine setting up a company, investing in your brainchild, flocking your ideas into it- only to find out that the intrapreneuring employees have thrown you out of their minds; what would be your reaction? Of course, you would want to remove the specific individuals out of your organization. As an intrapreneur, this can be a cause for concern if you have the same attitude.
You cannot afford to make the mistake of forgetting your founder- the building block of your revenue. The main motto of any intrapreneur is to remain in business- and keep the unit running for gradual progress. So it is up to you to make the entire team understand who they are working for and what their vision is. A simple note of gratitude towards the founder might sound trivial, but the sense of regard is what you should engrave in your team.
Lack Of Negotiation
The primordial task of the intrapreneur is to guide the team on the correct path- and teaching the art of negotiation is essential. You might not be a good negotiator personally, but you need to wrap your mind around this subject for the benefit of your company. An organization should never encounter financial struggles if the product and service are of excellent quality.
Potential clients should pay for the quality control and resources in which the entrepreneur is putting so much effort along with the team. The optimum quality of any company is the only point of leverage that all the team members should grasp whenever there is a negotiation scenario. No matter how big or small their role is, every working member should know enough to put an anchor on an excellent deal.
Avoiding Issues
Cross your heart and ask yourself about the number of times you have avoided issues just because you are afraid to encounter the consequences? We bet all of us have made this mistake at some point in our lives. But not addressing the issues right away is a more significant blunder than you could think of. For example, you have messed up miserably in an ongoing procedure of company production, and you are afraid that if your boss knew, he/she would backfire on you. But truth be told, even if you get an adverse reaction, you could sort things out then and there, and the repercussions might not be as bad as you thought it would be. But avoiding the issue altogether will not let you troubleshoot the problem, creating bigger chaos by the end of the production. Who knows! You might have to start from scratch! So bring up issues- no matter how big or small, discuss them elaborately, and resolve them immediately.
Futile Meetings
This is another mistake that not only intrapreneurs have committed, but so have the founders. Pointless discussions lead nowhere, and it is a sheer wastage of time. In a futile meeting, there is a lack of schedule and practical advice- hence there is no call to action. These meetings never move towards clarity but make things more confusing for the team members.
Taking a company to progress requires you to make the most out of the time that you are given, and you just cannot afford to let the minutes roll by. Of course, we are not asking you to be rude and question the authority right away. But you can always point out if your company is suffering losses due to ‘DEATH BY MEETINGS.’ All it takes for a fruitful meeting is to have a robust agenda and an even stronger leader who believes in execution rather than futile discussion.
Not Taking Notes
As silly as it might sound, most of the intrapreneurs feel contrite about not taking notes which they say is a significant mistake. Unless you are driving or having your hands full while attending a meeting, you must take notes every now and then. Only an amateur would think about taking mental notes, which will irreparably be erased after some time.
Whenever you are in a meeting and your instinct tells you – “whoa! That’s a great idea!” – just take the pen and notebook out. It is always easier to be an autodidact when you learn from meetings and jot them down.
Lack Of Self Development
The process of developing a company should go in sync with developing yourself first. As an intrapreneur, your team looks up to you, and they will try to mimic whatever you do. Therefore, you have to focus on developing your life’s personal, professional, and spiritual aspects.
Look into newer courses, explore various events around you, bond with strangers, learn a new skill- there is so much to do! Ask yourself whether you have calculated the changes from the pre-pandemic era to the recent times and how much it has changed you. Keep on asking questions to yourself, and pretty soon, the journey will be a cakewalk.
Disregarding The Bigger Picture
We know being an intrapreneur is crazy, and there is so much stuff that you have to cover simultaneously. Numerous phone calls, several meetings a day, troubleshooting problems – we name it, and you are on it. All this calls for the mammoth mistake- losing sight of the bigger picture.
Amidst all the hustle, you might forget the big picture- not only of the company but also for yourself. Just as you read this, – ask whether you are well informed about your big picture. Did you make any of the mistakes that we have talked about? Are you erudite about your next step? All these questions will push you towards clarity, and you can keep the bigger picture in mind.
