The Sunday Mail
Entrepreneurship Matters
Dr Kudzanai Vere
In the fourth industrial revolution, firm growth and sustainability is hinged on the ability to adapt to emergent business strategies and quickly drop the century-old business habits. Entrepreneurial employees will be leading the transformational process as they are both futuristic, proactive and active.
What are entrepreneurial employees and where
does one get them?
This is a rare species of employees. They are far from the protocols, procedures, policies, and guidelines team. Though they respect these, they have managed to go beyond compliance to commitment.
These are employees bent on bringing in new ideas, innovation, new products or services to the organisation and always researching on how best to improve and differentiate their organisation, products and services from those of competitors in line with the ever-changing customer demands.
Entrepreneurial employees work better in an environment that encourages and support innovation as there are some risks associated with new terrains. At times you fail and the top management need to understand this.
Organisations can develop their own breed of entrepreneurial employees by first having a buy in of the concept of continuous improvement and innovation beyond the word.
Promoting entrepreneurial employees
A number of organisations in developed countries have been and continue to enjoy market superiority and cutting edge enterprising from entrepreneurial employees’ exploits. I am glad that we have some Zimbabwean companies leading the way in promoting entrepreneurial employees such as Econet wireless, Nyaradzo Group, Picco Construction and BancABC.
There is a certain organisational atmosphere that top management must deliberately support within which entrepreneurial employees thrive.
Tone at the top
Entrepreneurial employees need employer’s support, moral and resource wise for they are at times frustrated in their quest for uniqueness.
The tone at the top outlines that the board of directors and management team should embody and not merely pay “lip service” to compliance and upholding certain business ethics and standards. Those at the top of the organisation should be honest, show integrity, and uphold an ethically correct corporate culture.
Tone at the top, as the name implies, starts at the top and trickles down into middle management and eventually to the bottom line. The entrepreneurial mind shift must be visible from the top and have a ripple effect down to the operatives.
Transfuse positive
energy to the employees
Those that will turn out to be the best innovators and trailblazers in generating business ideas, identifying and subsequently going for opportunities have some inherent drive and energy from within. The directorate and top management must also show support that will give them more energy to push and pull forward.
This class of employee as mentioned before commit themselves wholeheartedly to their work and have the capacity even run their own entrepreneurial endeavours as they possess almost every skill needed.
Entrepreneurial employees don’t normally look at the clock. They wake up early and get home late. They don’t normally feel comfortable and contented until that which they have set to archive is finally pocketed.
Have an entrepreneurship development programme
To succeed in business and even at personal level, you need to continuously develop yourself. Entrepreneurial employees are an asset to treasure as they help you improve the value of your business by their innovative works.
This team is capable of helping you launch a number of unique products and services, enter into foreign markets and succeed in uncharted territories. Such exploration calls for sharper and updated minds. Continuous learning of trends and patterns becomes an imperative.
As an organisation, you need to have a calendar for their training. Funds permitting they should even be flown abroad to meet their counterparts in similar industries and learn from them. This can enhance their overall impact within your organisation and in the market in general.
Loosen then up
Entrepreneurial employees are best handled loosely. Your management style may either encourage their entrepreneurial behaviour or inhibit it.
If you tend to micro manage them, then you won’t see their entrepreneurship as clearly. Instead, you will see their stifled creativity or stiffened behaviour as resentment and dissatisfaction.
If you tend to manage your employees loosely, then their entrepreneurship will flourish. Entrepreneurs need space to think, create, and do, without the imaginary limits of strict oversight.
Involve them in
strategy formulation
Entrepreneurial employees exhibit leadership traits so leaving them out from strategic planning sessions will not do you any good. This is a team that can bring in transformational ideas to your organisation for they are not only ideas laden but they are executors.
The translation of your strategy into a viable business calls for such individuals who you might invest heavily in. In the absence of restrictive contracts, such people turn to be nomadic and at the end of it all find themselves running their own enterprises.
Conclusion
Going forward, you need to start identifying and developing entrepreneurial employees within your staff compliment. They are an indispensable asset in every forward looking organisation. You therefore need to tone up and create a conducive environment and continuously upgrade them for better performance.
Determined to engage, inspire and transform generations.
The writer, Dr. Kudzanai Vere is the founder of Kudfort, Transformational Mindset Institute, Premium Business Network International and the Institute of Entrepreneurs Zimbabwe. He is an entrepreneur, author and transformational speaker in the areas of entrepreneurship and personal development. The transformational speaker have trained more than 5 000 entrepreneurs globally in the areas of innovation, organisation development, practical business management and ideation. You can contact him on +263719592232 or email [email protected]
