Entrepreneurial
By: Jobber Group
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Persona, Entrepreneurial, Elements

This seems like an easy one, doesn’t it? And who wouldn’t want an Entrepreneurial employee on their team? Well, not so fast. This element in particular can be both a good thing and potentially volatile depending on the situation. Let’s start with what Entrepreneurial people have in common:

They have a lot of energy;

They tend to take risks more so than others;

They believe in personal development;

They do not like micromanagement;

They may not be good team players;

They love to build and create things;

They probably have a side gig;

They like to do, not just talk about it;

and they will often be looking for their next opportunity and let you know about it.

Entrepreneurs are a pocket of people in the population (say that three times fast) who don’t want to work for others and who constantly have a big idea they want to share with everyone. They find creative ways to make those big ideas a reality. They start their own companies.

On the flipside are those people with the Entrepreneurial element who seek to do things in much the same way as Entrepreneurs do but within the structure of an organization. They are certainly not a fit for all companies, but there are those out there where these employees will thrive.

Crew

My nephew Crew was born a couple weeks ago, so in keeping with my latest trend, here is a story about Crew the Entrepreneurial.

Sales is one of those roles that is straightforward: make money for the company, make money for yourself, everyone’s happy. While that might be the overarching story, sales roles can differ quite substantially from company to company.

Crew works for an organization that is mostly sales people. Teams in offices around the US working feverishly to grow the company. At first glance this sales role might look like a call center type of role: picking up the phone, making phone calls, repeat. However, it is not like a call center at all.

This sales role is built for people like Crew who have that Entrepreneurial element but who need the resources and support provided by a larger organization. Crew is building his own book of business as they say, making decisions on who to contact, where to find leads, what to offer his customers and what to say to them to get them to buy. Crew’s business success relies mostly on his shoulders.

That Entrepreneurial element drives Crew to think like an entrepreneur but he isn’t alone on an island with no support. He can take risks but have the safety net of his company and his team and his manager there to catch him and pick him right back up. The stress and fear of starting your own business without that kind of support doesn’t exist in the same way in Crew. Sure, there’s fear of losing this job if he doesn’t perform, but he wouldn’t be losing everything as most entrepreneurs fear they will if they fail.

The advantages of having an Entrepreneurial employee like Crew are that they bring a passion and ownership to a role that can drive crazy success for both the individual and the company. Giving a role like that the freedom to build a business within a business gives people like Crew immense satisfaction at the end of the day. They’re proud to talk about their work to their friends and family. They can become your ultimate brand ambassadors.

The drawback of course is the volatility of the Entrepreneurial element. Some can’t handle working alongside others or for someone else. Too much clashing can occur. But if you can find people like Crew with that balance, you might have found the secret to your company’s success.

Who is Entrepreneurial on your team? Are they dynamite — in a good way or in a bad way?