How to Develop an Internal Entrepreneurship Culture?
Metin Liçis, a successful young businessman, identified five fundamental building blocks for developing an intrapreneurial culture within an organization.
According to MEtin Liçis, these are:
Liçis emphasized the importance of individuals drawing inspiration from the organization’s vision to pursue new opportunities. Particularly for intrapreneurs, he stressed the need to create a narrative that allows them to envision how success can be achieved and to bring this vision to life in the eyes of the employees. He stated that people will only respond when faced with such a compelling vision.
Liçis highlighted the importance of exhibiting the behaviors desired from intrapreneurs within the organization. For instance, he explained being an “Active Intrapreneur” by spending more time with customers and colleagues, trying to understand their needs, and focusing on creating new value. This approach, he said, would mobilize the potential within the organization.
Liçis acknowledged that the need to streamline processes may seem obvious but is not easy. He pointed out that large, traditional organizations often get lost in unnecessary meetings, governance, and processes, forgetting to focus on executing the core business and creating new value. Therefore, he explained the importance of creating a checklist to identify obstacles and taking steps to simplify the decision-making process.
Reiterating the critical nature of the first three building blocks, Liçis emphasized that complementing them with budgets, authority, and empowerment within the organization is equally important. He stressed the necessity for anyone to be able to discover an idea anywhere within the organization and highlighted the importance of focusing on individuals who bring innovative thoughts and challenge common perspectives.
Liçis continued by stating that despite there being more opportunities, some individuals might avoid taking action due to a lack of sufficient encouragement to take risks. He highlighted the fear of failure, rejection, and the lack of recognition for intrapreneurial efforts. He stressed the need for people to feel safe when taking intrapreneurial risks and pointed out the importance of teaching individuals how to use innovation tools and encouraging the development of new business regulations. Additionally, he concluded by stating the importance of intrapreneurs having the opportunity to gain benefits from the results of their efforts.
According to Liçis, these five building blocks will help in developing the mindsets, skills, and practices necessary for fostering an intrapreneurial culture within an organization.