During a recent conversation with a CEO of an Mid Size company, he said “We have lost the spirit of entrepreneurship as we grow in size. When we were a start-up we could take quick decisions and a few risky ones too. With the growth we have got more Managers and along with it several processes and controls. This has slowed down our pace and we are not as nimble as we were earlier.”
Is it Paradoxical to think about growth and Entrepreneurial spirit ….
During a recent visit to a mid size textile shop, we requested the delivery girl for a different type of bag which is normally given for higher value purchases. Initially she hesitated, but when I pointed out that I’m a regular customer to the shop she decided to give that bag. This made me think, how has the owner of the shop empowered her to take that decision?
The one line that comes to my Mind is: “Trust in your Employees”
Entrepreneurial Spirit:
It is when our employees feel empowered and motivated and have a sense of ownership which drives each of their actions and decisions. Following are some of the Observable Behavioral Indicators when the Spirit of Entrepreneurship is practiced in an organization:
- Employees are generally “Passion and Purpose Driven”.
- Unwavering Belief in their employees’ abilities to make decisions
- Dream Big – A Visionary Zeal from the top. Employees share this Vision.
- Propensity to take Risk is high among employees. No fear of being reprimanded.
- Employees are very Adaptable to changes in the business environment and learn quick.
- There is lots of creativity in decision making and employees are ready to explore.
- Actions are taken without any delay and speed of execution is visible.
- Employees feel Resourceful. They find ways of getting the necessary resource without any Excuses.
These qualities can be seen in most of the start-up organization. But as the organization grows and new people join, the need for creating new policies and processes arise which slows down the organization. Is it possible to maintain the spirit of entrepreneurship as we grow the organization.
Answer to this question is given by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great”. One of the characteristics of the great companies is their ability to get the Right people in the Bus and the Wrong People of the Bus and the Right people in the Right Seat before deciding where to drive.
The Key is in Recruiting the Right people into the organization. What do we look for in a potential candidate during Interview? Topic for discussion in another article …
”All companies have a culture, some companies have discipline, but few companies have a culture of discipline.
When we have Disciplined people, we don’t need hierarchy
When we have Disciplined thought, we don’t need bureaucracy
When we have Disciplined action, we don’t need excessive controls.”
Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great”
