Yes, you read it right! Intrapreneurs, not entrepreneurs! Let me break it down for you.  

An intrapreneur is someone who thinks like an entrepreneur but is an Employee within an organization. They get that steady paycheck, but they want to bring ideas to the surface. Intrapreneurs are entrepreneurial thinkers who drive organizational change and are motivated by creation.

Also, it’s not so much about looking for intrapreneurs on hiring websites, than it is about finding them in your own organization. They are there already, waiting for their potential to be discovered.  So, how do you discover this hidden treasure in your organization? And, once, you do, what do you do with them? Let’s figure out!

• Breaking the hierarchy

This is an important factor when looking for intrapreneurs within the company. When your employee has certain ideas but can’t share them with the person responsible, the idea just flies off elsewhere.

The reason behind this is the Ladder like hierarchy present. So, by the time the idea reaches you, it has been modified or perhaps spoiled.

The solution to this one would be to organize brainstorming sessions where everyone has an equal say and can be heard without interruption. So, the idea goes straight to your ears. Even if the size of your organization is a big one, this can be performed department wise, offline and online, using a suitable management software.

• Sharing the Equity

Given that you and some of your employees, capable of becoming intrapreneurs, have an equal (or slightly less) share in the company, your headache will be divided between them.

The ‘constant strive to stay on top’ kind of headache or the ‘earning more revenue’ kind of headache. Their empathy will increase and so will their performance as their money is also on stake. A very simple yet efficient strategy!

• Making RISK taking okay

Giving power to your employees comes with a certain amount of risk obviously. The newly made intrapreneur will ofcourse be at the receiving end of that risk and will need ounces of support from your side.

First of all, when you are cautious selecting an intrapreneur, possibility of a huge loss will be bare minimum or not at all. But whatever amount of risk that is involved would have to be backed by your motivation to the employee. They are learning too in the process and hence, need a strong leader like figure to rely upon.

As said by Steve Jobs,

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.”

The risk cannot be negated. Although, to minimize this risk in terms of money, some companies keep a separate fund for such kind of experimental activities. A separate pot for the ‘adventurous’ lot!

• Questioning at every step

“It comes from saying no to 1000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much”

-Again, Steve Jobs.

As the saying suggests, you always have to keep questioning whatever idea comes to your table, until it vanishes. If even one of those ideas stays at the last point of the interrogation, that one is your answer!

The most important questions you absolutely need to put down in front of your intrapreneur, apart from others, include,

• How would you explain your idea to a kindergartner? (To make the idea simpler)
• What is the kind of fit(benefit) it has to our organization? (small, medium or large)
• What will it result in after a period of 6 months? (or perhaps, a year)

If any of these is not answered correctly, you can brush the idea off their mind and yours. But if all three are correctly answered, then you will have to take your chances with it.

Concluding further, intrapreneurship is an attitude and not a department. Choose the stakeholder wisely!