CAREER SPECIAL .....Turn into an entrepreneur at your co to get better results

Turn into an entrepreneur at your co to get better results

Growing Fast With Fewer Resources Ensures Success

I would want to bring out some perspectives on why, irrespective of the setup we work in, it’s important to think like an entrepreneur. Let’s look at some of the traits and thinking patterns of an entrepreneur that everyone should imbibe:

Focus: 

It’s important that we are clear about our goals and the objectives of the organisation. This helps us align our work and focus on areas that really matter to the company. A focused approach will also help us grow. It will then be a matter of time before everyone appreciates our focus in keeping with the larger organisational goals in mind.

Being a disruptor: 

In large companies, there are more takers for status quo as any change is uncomfortable. The CEO, however, will definitely love those who cause disruption from within the company than facing it from outside. Find products or processes that you know are begging for disruption.

The aggregator:

Many stable, large organisations have a common issue — departments do not talk to each other and thereby strengths are not leveraged. You can hone the aggregator skill, wherein you spot a demandand-supply mismatch that is happening between departments or in your team, and figure out ways of deriving new value from it. You need to have the analysis to understand this as well as have the influencing skills to get departments together.

MVP, aka Minimum Viable Product: 

All startups truly love their idea. However, in reality, they do not know if it will have customers. So, before they wait for a fully loaded product, they release a very light version to the market and then grow its features on the go. This gets a product quicker to the market with far less resources. Hone your analytical skills and conservativeness to think of an MVP that doesn’t make your company spend too much.

Growth hacker: 

Entrepreneurs will need to have skills of growing fast with less. If you are in a large company, you know how the marketing budgets are shrinking over the years, or at least how with a minimum increase your boss is expecting so much more growth. The usual outcome is to drive a harder bargain from your vendors. Even if you are in a large traditional company, it’s time to be unconventional in your marketing ways. It can be a simple humorous one-liner about your new product as your email signature that will make your customer ask or read about it.

Thinking in ambiguity: 

A lot of times as an employee, we deal with ambiguity in tasks we are supposed to perform. It’s important to look at things objectively to help us focus and not to get overwhelmed by the situation. A positive approach during ambiguity is what will set us apart and will actually help us improve the situation.

Think in numbers: 

Numbers are very dear to entrepreneurs Thinking in numbers helps them see the return-oninvestment vis-à-vis the efforts. As much as I understand that attributing a monetary value to everything might not be the right approach, having an analytical approach to work helps us predict the outcomes better. It’s important that, as an employee, we ask ourselves: Are we making money? This is a very good measurement for you as an employee or as a team.

Discipline is the key: 

Irrespective of our role in any organisation, to a large extent, it is discipline that decides our success. It’s important to be mindful and have discipline imbibed in all aspects of work.

Be a risk-taker: 

A lot of the practices and approaches built in large organisations are designed to be risk-averse. It’s important that we build our appetite to take risks by taking small and calculated ones. This will give us the confidence and make us more open to embracing ideas. This will also help our supervisors accept our suggestions easily.

Be aggressive learners: 

As employees, we often get into our comfort zones and learning takes a backseat. This can cost us dearly as we are building a false view for ourselves. It’s imperative to keep learning at all times and be up-to-date with what’s happening in the market, and to see how best practices can be brought into our business.

By Thammaiah B N

The writer is managing director, Kelly Services India

14feb19