Musings on Intrapreneurship and Social Innovation
Good Afternoon!
As many of you know already - I am a huge proponent of the value of intrapreneurs and intrapreneurship - and its not just me - Forbes managzine have recently highlighted this value as have visionary business leaders such as Richard Branson and Paul Polman. Intrapreneurship is a methodology by which we can covert social problems into business opportunities and deliver sustainable solutions which profitably do good. A growing sector of thought concerning Millenial retention focuses on the ability of companies to deliver purpose and meaning to the careers of individuals or, in the case of intrapreneurship, empower individuals to go out and deliver that meaning for themselves. The interesting thing to note here is that - by empowering colleagues to deliver their own ideas - you can develop and retain top performers in a way which simultaneously delivers for the company. As David Spears and I get closer to implementing Barclays RoundUp - our original intrapreneurial idea which should raise in the region of c£18m p.a. for societal causes - we have taken the time to review our own journey to date and offer up our mistakes as pitfalls to avoid and, therefore, in the process create a methodology for how to deliver intrapreneurial projects.
Our methodology focuses on 13 key learns which allow you to navigate the corporate immune system and deliver ideas you care about. This methodology is proven to work and - therefore - has generated high levels of interest and hence the fact David and I now present at a wide array of conferences around the globe. Alongside this methodology David and I have also set up The Circle of Young Intrapreneurs - a rapidly growing network of socially conscious young people who want more from their careers than just to do well...they want to do well and also have impact and meaning in the wider world. If this is something which aligns with your values I would encourage you to join our LinkedIn community Here. We are looking to support young people who think differently and combine our own networks and key learns with a wider group of individuals who can help you to deliver the ideas and concepts which have value to you.
I am a huge believer that companies in the modern age can exist for stakeholder value and positive societal impact - this is also a proven to be something which a growing number of clients directly seek out in companies they do business with. The world of business is changing and - if we respond to this - we can create a fairer, more equal world, where businesses collaborate to solve some of humanities greatest issues and, therefore, create a better world for everyone. We are at the start of the journey here but I really believe in the power of the individual to drive change and leverage the power of the corporate as an engine of positive social impact.
Again - I would encourage you to join the Circle of Young Intrapreneurs (its free!) to find out how you can get involved and to share your ideas with people who can help. There are exciting times ahead.
Tim