Intrapreneurs Inspire

Getting to the "top" of  an organization with your idea or product can be a real battle but people who have an aptitude for this are real game game changers.

I had a great conversation last night with my next door neighbor growing up, Allen, and was reminded about the Intrapreneur.  I've blogged in the past about the Entre-ployee (wants something more, is bored, perhaps) and the B2B Service Provider (provides services to businesses).  The term intrapreneur on wikipedia reminded that it was invented by Gifford Pinchot III of the US Forest Service where I worked during 2012 and 2013 in their Enterprise Program.

While in the US Forest Service's Organization Development Enterprise, I connected with Matt in Idaho to help him mature his product and pitch for a national system to recruit for and manage the hiring process for Forest Service personnel.  Matt was a classic intrapreneur.

I helped others form a national Performance Management Group within their CIO organization.

Allen's a true, inspiring intrapreneur:  he's trying to make big and better things happen within his company, Select Sires.  He's already done big, innovative, ground-breaking things, and looking to do more in their industry and  company.  He's been with them for 15 years.

So let me add the intrapreneur to my list of people I want to meet.  They're very inspiring.

Being an intrapreneur is frequently like fighting dragons.  Many people may have tried it before and you'd better be prepared for the battle.  And form a team of supporters around you!

Inspiring talk by Simon Sinek and my thoughts

Saw this fella talk tonight.  He did a very good job.

I went to a very great talk by Simon Sinek tonight.  His talk was about leadership and was very inspiring. He's a very dynamic speaker. 

One of the main topics for him is getting to the WHY of what you do.  I did a quick experiment / brainstorm for myself:

What I do:

• Help organizations change
• Implement technology
• Manage projects
• Lead things
• Make things
• Try things
• Connect with people
• Network
• Build lists and systems
• Build teams
• Write things down
• Communicate

How I do it:

• Facilitation
• Teamwork
• Teambuilding
• Project management
• Politics
• Facilitation
• Skill
• Luck
• Records management
• Systems engineering
• Software development
• Product development

Why I do it:

• To change things
• To make a difference
• To make things better
• To make things suck less for people
• To bring people together
• To make people hate each other less
• To break down barriers and walls
• To find the truth
• To innovate
• To try new things
• To work with data and things real, tangible, observable
• To integrate disparate people and parts
• To make new things possible
• To invent and bring the future

Direct RELATIONSHIPS, not just direct marketing

Maybe it's not about direct marketing but about direct RELATIONSHIPS.  Yeah, consumers need to have a RELATIONSHIP these days with their brands.  Brands who are not good citizens or custodians of the customer's data, etc. will not be around or successful for very long.

Live at the bottom of the funnel.  Form relationships.  CRM, lifetime value, not just quick wins and bang for the buck.  Be responsible.