Intrapreneur Magazine Issue 2

Dr Sarah Pearson HOW THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS PROMOTING

Australian Intrapreneurs Summit wrap up

INTRAPRENEURIALISM

Why avoiding

risks

is so risky

The Power And Future Of INTRAPRENEURSHIP intrapreneurmagazine.com

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Unleash your

Enterprising

Spirit

Do you want to: 1. Become the most valuable employee in your organisation 2. Harness your smarts and savvy to solve worthy problems 3. Help transform your business or organisation to be resilient and future ready Join us on the 30th May 2019 in Brisbane for this one day workshop CREATING INTRAPRENEURS package.

Today, more than ever, workplaces need opportunity finders. These are the people who have great ideas and are prepared to invest the energy to bring them to fruition. They are the dreamers who do. Come and learn how to be an INTRAPRENEUR and help shape the future of your organisation or business.

I’m Dr. Irena Yashin-Shaw and I’ll be your workshop leader. My mission is to liberate the untapped talent, creativity and leadership capabilities that languish within our workplaces. I believe people can do remarkable things if given the opportunity.

That is why I have dedicated my entire working life to this quest - as an educator, researcher and mentor.

This workshop is for you if: • You are a leader, emerging leader, aspiring leader or influencer at ANY LEVEL who wants to create positive and meaningful change while developing your intrapreneurial skills.

• You are tasked with driving, catalysing and championing innovation in your workplace.

• You are an influencer within a workplace that is undergoing change.

• You have great ideas but don’t know how to transform them into reality to benefit your team, business or career.

• You feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done in order to re-energise or future-proof your business or organisation.

• You are just starting out and you want to accelerate your career trajectory.

• You need to solve complex problems in your workplace and need an effective process.

• You are an early adopter who is interested in the future of work and like to be on the leading edge of new trends and developments • You like to meet and network with other savvy, switched on change-makers and leaders.

• You are excited about the prospect of creating an even more positive future for yourself and your business.

Click Here For More Information And To Register Your registration package also includes my latest book Intrapreneur: How leaders ignite innovation, break bureaucracy and catalyse change, a 14 week on-line development program to nurture your intrapreneurial qualities and lots more.

(To run this workshop in-house call Dr. Irena on 0411330301) admin@drirenayashinshaw.com 0411330301

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 10

DR SARAH PEARSON: HOW THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS PROMOTING INTRAPRENEURIALISM

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THE INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN INTRAPRENEURS SUMMIT

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20 KATHRYN DYBLE: THE RISE OF THE INTRAPRENEUR

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23 GARETH BULLEN: THE

POWER AND FUTURE OF INTRAPRENEURSHIP

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26 WHY AVOIDING RISKS IS SO RISKY

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KELLY MCAULIFFE: SPEAK UP, BE HEARD, CREATE CHANGE

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JIM LINK: UNLOCKING THE HIDDEN SECRET

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35 INTRAPRENEUR TV

IntraPRENEUR Advertising Enquiries

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s r o t u b i r t n o C DR SARAH PEARSON Sarah Pearson is an experienced Open Innovation practitioner, innovation ecosystem builder, scientist and advocate for collaborative innovation and entrepreneurship.

She is the Chief Scientist and Chief Innovation Officer at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

This role is responsible for leading, developing and scaling innovation and science & technology practice, connection and culture across DFAT, countries in our region, and through whole of government activity.

Sarah has been actively involved in leadership of all parts of the innovation ecosystem over the course of her career, as a CEO, Board Director and through professional roles. She is passionate about helping Australia and countries in our region become innovative nations, creating economic and social impact, and her advice is sought out regularly at all levels of Government.

She also contributes to the growth of innovation through external roles, such on the Investment Committee for Main Sequence Ventures, Director on the Board of the Global Innovation Fund, and a Fellow of the Academy of Technology and Engineering.

Sarah was awarded a DPhil from the University of Oxford in particle physics, and is an inventor on eight international patents for cancer diagnosis and novel confectionary. She has published extensively through the media of TV, radio, books, academic journals, magazines and newspapers.

K AT H R Y N DY B L E Kathryn Dyble is currently the Manager of Government Records Innovation at Queensland State Archives.

As Manager, Kathryn is responsible for people and performance management in a team with an ambitious transformation agenda to reimagine recordkeeping across government. Although currently working for the Queensland State Government, Kathryn has a background as a senior leader in both the Commonwealth and Local government sectors, delivering business through people.

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JIM LINK Chief Human Resources Officer, Randstad, North America, Jim Link oversees Randstad’s human capital strategy and manages the company’s human resources initiatives for 125,000 employees.

Over the past year, Jim has enhanced recruiter efficiency, tripled the number of leadership programs, and significantly grown employee participation in professional development programs. Most recently, he was named HR Executive of the Year in the 2013 American Business Awards. Jim additionally serves on the Board for the SHRM Foundation Major Gifts Council. He serves as one of Randstad’s primary media spokespersons, with coverage spanning Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta JournalConstitution, Forbes, NPR and FOX Business, among others.

K E L LY M C A U L I F F E Kelly has 22 years policing experience and was a founding member of the Queensland Police Service Innovation unit that commenced in 2016. Kelly was instrumental in building the right connections to ensure the QPS remains a progressive organisation in a rapidly changing environment. Kelly and a small team implemented the QPS idea management platform iCOP (Ideas connecting our people). Kelly and her team successfully implemented this new digital platform statewide, connecting over 7000 members. Kelly has recently entered the public speaking and consulting world to take on a career change.

Her passion for connecting and engaging others has been evident throughout her whole career. Kelly is now stepping into other organisations to connect their people. She understands the complexities that come with cross functional work units operating in different environments and spanning five generations. Kelly has a proven ability to connect multiple generations and actively encourage collaborative leadership that supports the value of connections that provide experiences, feelings and memories for people.

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GARETH BULLEN Gareth has over 20 years’ experience as a Senior Manager and Director within Utilities, before moving to help set up a consultancy which built an unrivalled reputation in delivering leadership capacity, customer excellence and creative ways of working. He has helped develop senior leaders across a broad range of sectors and worked as an executive coach and mentor to board level directors in private and public organisations, including the NHS, Government Office, O2, The Big Lottery and Npower.

Over the years, Gareth has been successful in winning numerous national awards with clients for customer excellence, learning and development and employee engagement, reflecting the level of commitment, passion and expertise he brings to all his work.

Viewed as a thought leader in the area of the intrapreneurial leader mind-set, Gareth is Practising Professor of Intrapreneurship at the London College of International Business Studies, contributing to their global executive programmes.

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Intrapreneur MAGAZINE

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DR. IRENA YASHIN-SHAW

Thanks for subscribing to INTRAPRENEUR MAGAZINE. The focus in this issue is twofold. Firstly, we will look at intrapreneurialism in government and secondly, the wrap up for the Australian Intrapreneurs Summit, which happened on the 14th of March at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Many people think of intrapreneurialism as belonging predominantly to the business or corporate sector. But intrapreneurialism flourishes in EVERY sector. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Sarah Pearson, Australia’s Chief Innovation officer and Chief Scientist DFAT share information about how the Australian Government is facilitating intrapreneurialism at a national level. Be sure to watch my interview with her.

The inaugural Australian Intrapreneurs Summit was a sell-out success. We are very excited to share with you some of the wonderful highlights of this event, including the official launch of Intrapreneur Magazine.

We also bring you links to interviews and presentations from the virtual speakers at the Summit – Jim Link from Randstad US, Professor Gareth Bullen from the London College of International Business Studies and Paul Hodgson talking about the importance of intrapreneurialism for small and family owned businesses. I hope you enjoy them.

Remember to share your stories and contributions with us; Email me at editorinchief@intrapreneurmagazine.com and my highly capable and talented team will take it from there.

Also from the public sector, contributors Kathryn Dyble and Kelly McAuliffe share their inspiring stories of how they facilitated intrapreneurialism within their government departments.

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P R O M OT I N G I N T R A P R E N E U R I A L I S M

H OW T H E AU S T R A L I A N G OV E R N M E N T I S 10

Dr Sarah Pearson

O

ver the past 40 years, capitalist governments worldwide have acquired an increased interest in entrepreneurship and small business development as a potential solution to economic growth and rising unemployment. It’s helped spawn a new field of academic study and research, and the trend was boosted by technology entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Bill Gates of Microsoft, or Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google. Technology parks can be found scattered around the world, and we are constantly being informed of the latest and greatest startups, non-profits, and special interest charity groups.

The entrepreneurial mindset is alive and well around the world, and the government typically has a key impact on not only how new businesses are created, but also on the nature and ability of firms to grow. While we do require some of the movers and shakers to disrupt current business models to propel innovation and growth via business creation, some of the most important social entrepreneurs, or intrapreneurs lie within our current institutions.

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Dr. Sarah Pearson is the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) first Chief Innovation Officer and is working to embed innovation across all of DFAT’s work.

She offered some of the ways DFAT, and the Australian government, is promoting intrapreneurialism and creative responsibility.

Intrapreneurialism within DFAT Emerging science, tech, and innovation poses an opportunity for all DFAT activity—from development programs to foreign affairs and trade. In order to drive change, Dr. Pearson urges that “you need to give people a reason to change. Why should it matter to them?

You’ve got to show them success stories to demonstrate what it could achieve, to show them the potential.”

The InnovationXchange (iXc) was set up within DFAT in 2015 as an experiment to showcase how innovation can be used in Australia’s aid program. Pearson descried how the staff within iXc became intrapreneurs within DFAT, experimenting with innovative approaches—such as running global challenges to source the world’s greatest ideas to tackle our toughest development problems. Some of the challenges included LAUNCH Food, a global call for ideas that could improve nutrition in the Pacific, a region that holds 9 out of the world’s top 10 most obese countries; the MIT Solve Challenge, which sourced solutions to prepare disadvantaged youth for the workforce of the future; and the Google Impact Challenge, through which the DFAT supported 4 winners who were using a technological solution to fight poverty in our region.

IXc staff are also finding creative ways to support entrepreneurs across the IndoPacific, and they’re gaining valuable insights into how innovation and the start-up scene works in the process. The flagship entrepreneurship program, Scaling Frontier Innovation, is an initiative to strengthen and support the ecosystem for innovators and entrepreneurs in our region.

In 2018, iXc started to apply what they’d learned toward supporting all of DFAT to improve their work in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and producing better valuefor-money for the department. Pearson explained they’re transferring over some of the early stage experiments to other sections of DFAT and helping others to take innovative approaches: “We were getting feedback that staff wanted to learn how to adopt innovative approaches to their work, using frameworks such as human centered design. In an ideal world, all DFAT staff would consider themselves intrapreneurs, and that’s certainly something we’re striving for.”

Another way the DFAT is promoting intrapreneurship is by leveraging private sector partnerships with companies like Google and Atlassian to build its skills and capability, as well as increase access to the latest technology. “Working with Atlassian has given us exposure to their ways of working—agile and creative—as well as some of the products and tools, including collaboration platforms and team management tools,” explains Pearson. “The technical expertise of both Google and Atlassian was hugely impactful in supporting the grantees funded from the challenges with technical support to improve and scale ideas to reach more beneficiaries,” she said.

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What makes an intrapeneur different from a “good” employee?

It’s not just the DFAT that’s incorporating and promoting intrapreneurship. There is a lot of work being done to support intrapreneurship across the government.

According to Pearson, there are over 20 groups in the Public Sector Practitioners Network, which is made up innovation labs across the Commonwealth.

“Of course, that’s not to say you need to be part of an innovation lab to consider yourself an intrapreneur, but the people in these labs are the champions for their departments,” says Pearson. The lab support staff create innovative ways of working—like design thinking and agile team management approaches and tools.

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Intrapreneurs could be the key to future-driven successes for a number of organizations. Not everyone is an intrapreneur, and some employees possess a higher degree of potential than others. According the Pearson, identifying your intrapreneurs is pretty easy: “[They] aren’t content with the status quo. They want to be sure they’re being as effective and impactful as possible. They think outside the box and focus on outcomes. They recognize they don’t always have all the answers, and are prepared to look externally for ideas to improve.

They are constantly driven by being better and reaching their full potential.

Intrapreneurs are experimental—prepared to trial new ideas, but always able to pivot or stop if evidence shows it’s not working.

They take calculated, smart risks. Finally, they are well connected both inside and outside the organization, allowing them to exchange ideas with others, to both learn and share their knowledge.”

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THE INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN INTRAPRENEURS SUMMIT with Editor In Chief Dr Irena Yashin Shaw intrapreneurmagazine.com

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hile the term “intrapreneur� may be still reasonably new, it’s quickly growing in popularity.

Today, more and more businesses around the world are discovering the benefits of having engaged and empowered employees on staff with business skills, creative problem-solving abilities, and an interest in personal leadership who can actively find and leverage opportunities.

(AIS) at the Brisbane Convention Centre where people from a variety of industries and backgrounds came together to talk and learn about intrapreneurialism. We chatted with Dr Yashin-Shaw to learn more.

These intrapreneurs are changing the game when it comes to business results.

Plus, the people who are finding such ownership in their roles are also happier in their jobs as they get to experience the passion, excitement and growth that comes from being an intrapreneur.

There is no other event in Australia like this. I believe there are a couple of key reasons why this event really hit the mark. Firstly there are many conferences that focus on innovation in the corporate world but none that brings together the same diversity of perspectives from such a wide variety of sectors and industries in the way AIS did. The other reason I believe that the event was such a success is because there is a growing awareness and acknowledgement that it is PEOPLE - INTRAPRENEURS - who drive

One woman who is really paving the way for this new working style is Dr Irena Yashin Shaw. Apart from her work in this area as a speaker, author and consultant, she recently launched the first Australian Intrapreneurs Summit

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The inaugural Australian Intrapreneurs Summit was held in March this year and was a sell out! Can you tell us a bit about the event?

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innovation, change and transformation.

If we want more effective organisations that fulfill their mission and mandate at the highest level, then we need to find, nurture, upskill and support the intrapreneurs. AIS did just that.

In addition to keynote speakers, there were also speakers representing various streams, such as government, academia, education, community indigenous and not-for-profit.

Why did you decide to set things up this way?

Intrapreneurialism is alive and well in ALL sectors. It is not confined to the corporate world or the business world. For me, one of the key drivers for the Summit was to showcase intrapreneurialism across the board and to shine a light on the amazing work being done in sectors as diverse as education, indigenous, government, academia, community, not-for-profit as well as in corporate and business. The conference is unique in the diversity

and breadth of voices it brought together to showcase and celebrate intrapreneurialism. I was delighted by the wonderful sense of community that was created at AIS. What were some of the key insights participants took away from the event? » » For many it reinforced for them that they are on the right track. It validated what they are already doing in their workplaces. » » It gave them a common and shared language and a lexicon by which to understand and talk about their thinking and initiatives in relation to intrapreneurialism. » » It helped them to realise they are not alone in the difficulties they face in their intrapreneurial journey – that people in other organisations and other sectors are experiencing similar challenges and have found effective solutions.

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» » That innovation and intrapreneurialism doesn’t only have to be about big ticket items. Instead, small improvements and changes can also be valuable and can cumulatively make a big impact. » » Many said they were utterly inspired by the stories of both success and struggle that they heard during the Summit. » » Young people at the beginning of their careers said the event it gave them a new perspective on how to focus on their skill and career development. » » People also came to the Summit to meet their tribe - fellow intrapreneurs from other industries and contexts but with the same enterprising spirit, passion for creating positive change and solving high-value problems. Many commented to me that they were extremely impressed not only by the high quality of the speakers but also by the calibre of the delegates who attended.

How will what intrapreneurs learnt at the event help them to succeed over the coming months and years?

As a result of the pace of change today, organisations from all sectors are feeling the pressure to transform and reinvent themselves. No organisation that wants to stay relevant can ignore the imperative to innovate. Intrapreneurs are the key drivers in that transformation process. They need to be kept inspired, motivated, informed and networked.

So attending the summit is like putting some rocket fuel in their tank.

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Were there any common themes you saw popping up amongst speakers?

Yes – in particular, how the greatest success comes from getting everyone involved in transformation, innovation and change. Enfranchising and empowering people is the best way of releasing and harnessing the enormous untapped talent within organisations.

What’s next for the Summit, and where can people learn more?

Given the spectacular sell out success of the inaugural Australian Intrapreneurs Summit it will become an annual event.

There will be another one on the 19th of March 2020 again at the Brisbane Convention Centre. The theme for 2020 will be “Enabling Intrapreneurialism through Technology and Diversity”. It is still in the planning stages but it will once again be absolutely awesome.

Guaranteed! We are in the process of locking in some truly inspiring Australian and international speakers as well as some very cool technology experiences.

People can register now at the super early bird price at www.AustralianIntrapreneursSummit.com.au.

For speaking engagements, in-house programs and consulting work contact Dr. Irena directly by email irena@drirenayashinshaw.com

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s n io t la u t a r g n o C Wilma James

for winning the competition in Issue 1 to receive the double pass to the inaugural Australian Intrapreneurs Summit by telling us in 25 words or less why intrapreneurialism is so important. This was Wilma’s entry.

Identifying, unleashing and motivating our Intrapreneurs will transform and grow our economy.

Intrapreneurial talent and ideas plus great execution mean competitive advantage for any business.

An absolutely brilliant use of 25 words!

Australian Intrap

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preneurs Summit

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THE RISE OF THE

Intrapreneur

With Kathryn Dyble

E

ntrepreneurialism is a concept we are all familiar with. Entrepreneurs are the ones who build companies from the ground up. They’ll take control of everything from budgets to operating procedures to product development and sales. While entrepreneurs are necessary and important, businesses need to pay attention to the intrapreneurs within their organisation. Intrapreneurs differ from entrepreneurs in one key way: they focus on the growth or advancement of an existing, established organisation.

Intrapreneurs take the elements currently in place in an organization and make them bigger and/or better.

Kathryn Dyble manages a capability and planning team within a government agency. We chat to her about her role as an intrapreneur, the key skills it takes to become an intrapreneur and how you can start intrapreneurial initiatives within your own organisation.

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Kathryn’s story of success began out of frustration. There had been a recent change of leadership within the organisation and as part of the ‘getting to know you’ process, the new executive director invited staff to share the things about their work that drove them crazy or were deemed a waste of time. The result? A list of processes needing review. As the manager of the capability & planning team, it wasn’t surprising to Kathryn that most of the list related to corporate and administrative elements necessary tasks which occur so seldom that people forget what they need to do.

“While the original objective of the exercise was to remove as many of the things from the list as possible, it soon became evident that much of the frustration was not the what—the tasks themselves were generally accepted as necessary—but the how—a lack of access to the information needed to ensure the task could be completed efficiently. Our existing information

sharing processes relied heavily on the subject matter expertise of key staff, and if they were unavailable it contributed to the overall frustration and inefficiency.

At a business level there was a need to improve the way we were doing things, to better use our resources, change the way our internal customers could access information, and build capability across the organisation. But at a personal level, there was a need to just make things easier and to remove the frustration people were feeling about aspects of corporate work. We knew the solution lay in information sharing and that SharePoint was an established platform that could work for us,” Kathryn described.

Ultimately, Kathryn’s situation required her and her small team to take it upon themselves to transfer the company’s information sharing system to a different system from what they were

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using previously. Their initial pitch was approved but would have taken too long and cost too much, so the team holed away in an office and learned the ropes of the new system on their own. They became the intrapreneurs of the organisation.

Having the right attitude

Not everyone can think up innovative changes to make within an existing organisation, but with the right attitude, the right person can. It turns out, determination isn’t the key factor that drives intrapreneurs; it’s curiosity and the ability to think creatively.

“Initially when we started the project it was about solving a long-standing problem for our business, and the outcome was very important.

But from the beginning I was very conscious that my approach was different. I’ve always been a reasonably determined person, but I tried to pair that with curiosity. I value efficient work processes, but, paradoxically, the process of finding creative solutions is often quite inefficient. It requires an inquisitive spirit and willingness to take the time to explore. The innovative part of the project was not so much the solution we adopted, it was finding a more creative way to navigate the process—to not get deterred when we encountered barriers but to be curious enough to persevere,” explains Kathryn.

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4 steps to approach an intrapreneurial idea

Kathryn explained she’s fortunate that she works in a place that is passionate about innovation and supportive of finding innovative ways to work. However, even if your situation isn’t ideal, she still recommends approaching new ideas the same way: 1 | Prepare your pitch: Do your research, understand the costs, benefits, risks, and options. To inspire confidence, you need to be ready to present considered information. There is no point talking about something if you can’t answer questions.

2 | Seeing is believing: Show and tell is always better if there is actually something to show. Busy people can sometimes struggle to find the cognitive space to come at problems differently. If someone has already done the hard work of imagining a different solution and has taken the time to pull together a minimum viable product to demonstrate how it works, they’re more likely to listen.

3 | Choose your moment: Everyone has a bad day sometimes. If your boss is dealing with 1,000 problems on a given day, wait for a better opportunity to give your pitch.

4 | Listen to feedback: It’s important to listen to feedback and be willing to adapt your idea; your target audience might like the solution but see it working differently.

Be open to other perspectives.

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GARETH BULLEN:

THE POWER AND FUTURE OF INTRAPRENEURSHIP

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hen it comes to the arena of intrapreneurship, one man who’s really leading the way and working hard to grow interest in intrapreneurial strategy world-wide is Gareth Bullen. A thought leader on the topic, Gareth conducts regular keynote speeches on how leaders can become intrapreneurs, and is a practising professor of intrapreneurship at the London College of International Business Studies.

Intrapreneur Magazine caught up with Gareth to have a chat about this burgeoning strategy and where it can take individuals and businesses in the future.

Gareth, how do you think intrapreneurialism can help to transform an organisation from the inside out?

I see intrapreneurship as an holistic concept that understands that it is only by freeing all of the talents within an organisation, that you can be truly successful. If the senior team genuinely believe this, they have the ability to change an organisation to a community of the willing.

They can become so flexible that this community can be any shape that the challenge facing the business requires.

Intrapreneurship allows people to manage themselves. Executives can, instead, spend

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time inspiring workers, narrating the direction they need to follow and describing the river the team must swim in. I believe the effect on performance, innovation, well-being and involvement when intrapreneurship is harnessed, is unlimited.

Can you give us one or more examples of the power of intrapreneurialism in the workforce?

An example I often talk about in my seminars is a small regional gas distribution network who were struggling to meet their legally binding minimum standards. They were plagued by low morale and poor performance and were offering extremely poor customer service.

However, they managed to turn things around. This was done through changing their leadership style from ‘parent to child’ to ‘adult to adult’, and by freeing their employees to improve the business with the often-stated mantra ‘If an idea is safe and legal, just do it.’

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They were able, in a nine-month period, to become the best in their sector at customer service. They achieved an employee engagement score only experienced by some of the best retailers in the UK, and they won 10 national awards for customer service, innovation, and employee engagement.

Do you have any simple first steps for intrapreneurs wanting to start down this path?

I think the first thing to know is that everybody can be intrapreneurial. If you are a team leader or middle manager and you haven’t the power to change the whole organisation, go and transform your team or department.

Change your leadership style from ‘command and control’ to one of leadership and inspiration. Stop telling people how to do things and instead describe the destination the team are trying to get to. Allow them to find the best route there.

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What is the state of play in intrapreneurship at the moment around the world?

great energy and interest in a dynamic and exciting new way of working.

I think it’s patchy. I see in Europe, because of a fear of wealth and power moving from the west to the east, a great hunger for a new way of working that uses all the talents in an organisation. In Africa, there is a new generation who are determined to change the way businesses work and are looking at intrapreneurship as their favoured solution. From my work in the UAE I’m amazed at the willingness of organisations to become more intrapreneurial as they strive to diversify their economies. So overall, I’m seeing a

What do you see as the likely future of intrapreneurship?

To find out more or to connect with Gareth, you can catch him on Gareth Bullen Intrapreneur @garethintra

I think if intrapreneurship develops into a holistic model for building a community within an organisation, where culture, leadership, colleague collaboration, and borderless cooperation are nurtured between all stakeholders, suppliers, customers, and competitors, there is a chance that intrapreneurship will become the intellectual driving force as we move through the 4th and 5th industrial revolution.

In addition, you can email him on gareth.bullen@lcee.co.uk to discuss the unique, live-streamed ILM intrapreneurial leader programme that is on offer.

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WHY AVOIDING RISKS IS SO RISKY

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he fear and avoidance of risk taking can be the greatest roadblock to innovation, creativity, growth, intrapreneurialism and business success. Taking risks can evoke unnecessary fear in people, because the idea of taking a risk implies the notion of being reckless, when in fact, the two are not one and the same.

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Taking a risk in any aspect of life is never something that should be done lightly or without careful consideration.

Deciding on taking a calculated, wellresearched and informed risk can lead to innovation and success. The world is moving at too fast a pace for business leaders to stand stagnant and not lead by example. Without diligent risk taking, innovation will halt. Playing it safe could be your greatest mistake.

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HERE ARE 7 REASONS WHY TAKING A RISK CAN PAY OFF

in the one basket; it is, in fact quite the opposite. It is about doing your homework, strategizing and hatching a plan to create opportunity.

To be successful in business, risk taking is inevitable: No business has ever been successful without an element of risk taking. Hiring staff is risky, applying for loans is risky, and leaving a well paying job to go solo is risky. Any business venture worth its salt involves taking a leap of faith, so it is far better to embrace it than to avoid it.

No more “What if’s”: Taking a risk does not necessarily result in success, but if you don’t give new things a go then how will you ever know? Sometimes, you need to push out of your comfort zone in order to reach new heights. It may not always go your way, but what you learn from your mistakes will set you up for future success and you will at least be able to eliminate the “what if’s”!

Taking a risk is different to taking a gamble: Too many people mistake taking a risk as taking a gamble. When in fact, they are two entirely different concepts. Successful people take small, calculated risks regularly to work towards their goals and objectives.

Taking a risk is not about taking a gamble and putting all of your eggs

Innovation can’t take place without risk taking: Innovation is all about doing things in a new way; looking for fresh ideas, different methods and creative concepts. It is all too easy to get stuck in a rut and continue to do things the same way that they have always been done, but falling trap to

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that antiquated way of thinking stunts innovation and development.

and without it, growth is prevented and business opportunity lost.

Taking risks creates greater job satisfaction: People thrive when they are creating and achieving and that is why calculated risk taking is so closely linked to overall job satisfaction.

When workers push boundaries and be innovative, they get a great sense of pride in themselves and in the work that they are doing. This creates a positive mindset and a productive and proactive work environment.

Being a risk taker gives you a competitive advantage: Most people naturally shy away from taking risks, so this is why those who are brave enough to try new things have a competitive advantage. Having an adaptable and ever-changing attitude and business disposition allows you to see and take advantage of opportunities that others are not willing to embrace.

Risk taking creates opportunity: Consumer demands and expectations are constantly changing and that is why it is essential for businesses to be in a constant state of growth and development. They need to be able to predict and cater to changing consumer demands and act accordingly. Successful business leaders acknowledge and accept that risk is simply a cost of opportunity 28

To be successful in any area of life involves an element of risk. The key is to be clever about the risks that you take and to weigh up when the advantages of taking a risk outweigh the negatives. No one is suggesting that you throw caution to the wind and behave recklessly, but being afraid to try new things, embrace progressive thinking, or taking calculated risks could be the biggest mistake you could ever make in business!

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SPEAK UP , BE HEARD, CREATE CHANGE With Kelly McAuliffe

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here is room for intrapreneurialism in every business; From the family run shop with just a few employees, to large corporate firms and everything in between. There are some incredible people taking bright, bold, innovative ideas and implementing them for lasting, positive change and intrapreneurialism is now being embraced and encouraged within our government sector.

Despite the numerous and necessary rules and regulations, the Queensland Police Service has reinvented communication

channels to invite every member of the organisation to speak up and be heard.

Kelly McAuliffe has been with the QPS for over 20 years, beginning her career as a general duties officer in 1997 and since working in varied capacity, including training. In 2016 she was asked to become a founding member of the Innovation Unit, whose primary goal was to “make policing simpler for the frontline, better for the bottom line and safer for all.”

“We have been a very innovative organisation for a long time, this was now an opportunity

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“The time is now . . . make the change . . . be the difference for you and your people.”

to acknowledge and celebrate the innovative work that was happening in different pockets of the state and, where possible, scale it across the whole organisation,” Kelly said.

“The greatest achievement for me in this role was my involvement in the design and implementation of an idea management system that gave our people, regardless of their rank/level or location, permission to speak outside of the chain of command. This was very rewarding as you could see the light come on for people when they realised they had just as much to offer and were now being asked.”

This readiness to open the door for every member of the team to have their say on how the organisation can be improved is a breath of fresh air for intrapreneurship. So often, there are people with much more to offer than their day-to-day tasks but the fears, hierarchies and communication issues halt future-focused individuals before they have had a chance.

In just 12 months of implementing the

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idea management system, known as iCOP (ideas connecting our people), over 6,000 members had signed up. These members could then submit an idea for discussion, and other members would comment and vote on that idea. Popular and viable options were progressed through an implementation funnel.

“We saw members of the executive leadership team collaborating directly with constables from the frontline. This flipped the model of leadership from telling our people what to do to asking our people what we could do differently. We provided a space for our intrapreneurs to have a voice,” Kelly said.

This program won the International Ideascale Innovation Management Awards Best Engagement Strategy 2018 and proved how widespread and valuable intrapreneurs are to any organisation. It also proved that anyone has the potential to meaningfully contribute to their workplace if given the opportunity.

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“Anyone can be an intrapreneur; we all have the skills to think differently and look for better ways to do business. For this to happen though, there needs to be the right authorising environment, that safe feeling in any workplace that says, ‘you are just as important as anybody else’, the leadership at every level is critical… Collaboration requires integration and not domination.”

Kelly likens intrapreneurship to planting a seed. Sometimes, you need to plant a lot seeds for one to grow, but eventually people will realise that change is possible.

Intrapreneurs need resilience, patience and an abundance of energy to keep planting those seeds, despite the odds.

The government sector can be difficult to create change from within due to the ‘risk adverse’ environment, so those at the forefront of innovation must be willing to strongly argue the ‘why’. Kelly also recommends starting small until your strategy is proven.

“It is about thinking smart, testing small and then scale. You can quite often mitigate risk by demonstrating value for something by presenting the minimal viable product, pilot this and showcase the benefits and scalability. The appetite to approve a smallscale project compared to a wholesale costly and time consuming ‘unknown project’ is much greater,” she said.

“It is important to appreciate the need (at times) for strict regulation around operations and there needs to be appropriate governance and risk assessments undertaken …however

government organisations are essentially running a business, so to survive in today’s changing context, they need to think like a start-up and focus on the needs of the customer and employee.”

The power of the intrapreneur to motivate, energise and create valuable change to any organisation is strong, and the potential limitless. The QPS example is proof that no matter the governing systems in place and no matter the scale of the organisation, there are voices that need to be heard – including yours.

Kelly now also offers a consultancy service to share her skills and knowledge across a range of industries. Services are tailored to each client but include: Time in motion analysis of the workplace - findings report and recommendations Workshops Coaching/mentoring Workplace presentations

To find out more about Kelly’s consultancy service, contact: kelmcauliffe@gmail.com

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UNLOCKING THE HIDDEN SECRET

With Jim Link

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andstad’s Chief Human Resources Officer for North America, Jim Link has his finger of the pulse of the trends shaping how organisations can prepare and redesign their workforce.

His opinions on workplace issues and advocacy for intrapreneurship, are sought out by national and local media, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company and HR Magazine.

Jim believes that the fast pace our workplaces change these days, makes intrapreneurialism central to a companies’ ability to stay relevant. In his video presentation created for the Australian

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Intrapreneurs Summit, Jim reveals why and how HR needs to focus their organisation’s strategy around intrapreneurialism, building an architecture and culture that nurtures it.

“Intrapreneurialism presents a whole new opportunity for workplaces and companies throughout the world. Many companies are creating an environment and a culture where the intrapreneurial spirit can thrive, even within the hierarchies that exist,” Jim says.

Neglecting to adapt to a more agile work environment will cause some companies to miss out on skilled talent.

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“Take a good strong look at intrapreneurialism and think about how you might build it out, reward it and then reap its benefits. An intrapreneur will have the capability and the desire to create something new and something different,” he says.

Jim oversees Randstad’s human capital strategy and manages the company’s human resources initiatives for 125,000 employees. In his role, he has enhanced recruiter efficiency, tripled the number of leadership programs and significantly grown employee participation in professional development programs.

Ranstad pride themselves on matching

smart people with great jobs, from executive level to manufacturing.

They have over 5500 staff in the North American branch alone and manage a workforce of over 100,000 people every week. Jim’s role with Ranstad has rewarded him with exceptional insight into how a workplace can really thrive.

He understands disruptive trends contributing to the erosion of the traditional workplace and the key leadership traits needed to succeed in the post-digital workplace. He believes the key to unlocking a company’s potential is through identifying, embracing and encouraging the intrapreneurs within.

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“An intrapreneur has the ability to see something and figure out a way or a process or a methodology to make it better. They don’t always follow the rules. They are not looking for a normal protocol or normal hierarchy to solve their problems They are willing to work from within to create opportunities, to give birth to new ideas and, in essence, to help the organisation as well,” Jim says.

“The Human Resources team needs to be able to facilitate intrapreneurialism at its finest. And, the best way to build intrapreneurialism, is to look for it.”

“Leaders can look at the best qualities within their employees and encourage these to flourish. Leaders can mentor their intrapreneurs ideas, sponsor their projects and give reward to those who are showing the intrapreneurial spirit.”

and intrapreneurialism, when working together, are an unstoppable force within an organization.

According to Jim, the characteristics of an intrapreneur are: An innate sense of curiosity, asks questions, and finds different ways to do things The ability to buck the status quo Looks at an opportunity in a unique way Desires to make change happen and knows how to see it through Focuses on the change process to drive their intra spirit

“The best thing you can do is to mentor, to coach and lead individuals toward understanding that their ideas toward intrapreneurialism are appreciated and even expected within the organisation,” he says.

Intrapreneurs are notoriously hard to find and to keep, but the combination of innovation

Listen to the full video with Jim here

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Dr Sarah Pearson

Garreth Bullen

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Jim Link

Paul Hodgson

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