Intrapreneurship

Significance

Most of us seek peace, love, and significance.
All can be achieved by offering each to others.

Visions, missions, and titles may help guide teams in a shared direction, but linchpins want work that matters and culture outshines even the most thoughtful strategy.

The race to revenue makes it easy to see why we’ve been seduced by surveillance, predictable profit margins, and forced productivity. Too often, the easy metrics borrowed from such compliance are the ones that get measured. This leads to endless meetings geared toward delivering information, avoiding blame, and asserting authority for those in charge. The illusion is that control will lead to predictable results thanks to a maximization of resources. The problem is: humans are not a resource.

Leaders who make a difference welcome tension brewed by those who make a ruckus. We nurture initiative, even when results aren’t perfect, which creates enrollment where enthusiasm is met with consistent action. We keep promises and our sense of abundance fuels intentional permeability that invites people to leave. We create a culture where everyone can be proud of the impact they make. Contributions are appreciated, knowing they would be missed if they were gone and the work is worth doing because it invites each human to sing their own song of significance.

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Are your meetings led by a few people talking and most pretending to pay attention? Perhaps it’s time to get real by inviting the team to lead together.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Permeability

We don’t have many 40 year careers anymore.

With talent in high demand, but often on the move, abundance can be overshadowed by scarcity when it comes to talent retention. We survey meaningless metrics, count the keystrokes, and try to pay people just enough not to leave. What if instead of trapping talent, we create purposeful jobs in an inclusive environment that gives agency to team members eager to keep a promise?

In his new book, The Song of Significance, Seth Godin argues (among other things) how enrollment can last when we invite people to leave. Instead of fighting to keep people in place, what if we optimize onboarding and welcome turnover, while creating conditions to make this the best job someone has ever had? When people are invited to be a linchpin, they feel significant and the team will be led by those who aren’t just collecting rent for their time.

As Seth talks about in this conversation with Tim Ferris, when we create a gratifying, but more porous environment, listen to stay in-tune with gyration. When departures occur, don’t blame the individual. Consider the conditions that contributed to such a decision and work harder to nurture a performance-based culture that’s made to stay.

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When you dance on the edge of infinity, there’s always enough… because you aren’t taking opportunity from anyone else, you’re creating it. -Seth Godin

By Ben McDougal, ago

Innovation in Iowa

Debi Durham is the Director and Anna Lensing is the Innovation Team Project Manager for the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. This government organization provides remarkable programs brewed to support business and innovation throughout Iowa. Tune in to hear us talk about the state of innovation in Iowa, ecosystem mapping, EntreFEST, non-dilutive financial capital for business owners, creative business succession planning, the legacy of John Pappajohn, tech-focused policy work, and what’s next for students, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and community builders statewide!

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By Ben McDougal, ago

Uncharted

Building without a map is a bold art form.
It’s challenging, dangerous, and rewarding.

It’s challenging because these expeditions call for initiative to show up but also an unknown amount of resources to stay persistent. All seven capitals (intellectual, human, financial, institutional, physical, network, cultural) can each be hard to find, but celebrating what we have attracts more of what we want. As different types of capital connect, staying balanced with your personal bandwidth requires attention. But when we care and remain realistic, we give ourselves the permission to keep building.

Uncharted crusades can also be dangerous. This quest will not go as anticipated and the opportunity cost is high, with endless ways to spend our time. Even when odds are against us, a healthy obsession paired with a willingness to succeed or learn cultivates a potent mix of curiosity, optimism, and righteous recklessness. Those willing to try have a huge advantage over everyone else willing to wait.

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What might you regret not doing?

When exploring the unknown for the first time, be clever, collaborative, and patient. Also, remember that winners quit all the time. They simply quit the right things at the right time. So, get passionate without falling in love with impossible and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s much to learn from heroes, mentors, and those you seek to serve. Success and failure leave clues, so speed up progress and avoid pitfalls by leaning into tribes you trust.

When you’ve built without a map, the highs and lows strengthen decision-making. Practice also makes the unknown less intimidating. Experienced wayfinders gather feedback faster, measure the right metrics, and appreciate the hardships without allowing pride from the past to mislead them.

We know how rewarding it can be to build an event, business, or relationship you’re proud of.

To dance toward the unknown, be thoughtful with early moves but don’t get paralyzed by perfection. Sustain growth with sequenced storytelling. Be urgent but not frantic by activating trust channels that stimulate accountability. Welcome feedback like a scientist, listen with concentration, and savor metrics beyond the money.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Captive

Air travel is an elevated time to shake and move above the clouds. Elevation makes us all feel successful, so hammering on some work or catching up on a good read/listen/watch feels great, but a nap is just as nice.

Think back to the last time you warped time by catching a mid-flight nap. Suddenly, a flight attendant shatters your peaceful slumber—not to share a friendly update for passengers but to rattle off a forced sales pitch for their branded credit card. Ouch.

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Attention is hard to earn.
If you have it, don’t waste it.

Now, imagine an alternate scenario. Instead of unwanted interruption followed by an impersonal script that makes us feel like prisoners instead of appreciated customers, what if the same offer felt more like a special little gift?

How might it feel to hear that you have been selected to receive a free beverage or tasty snack, paired with that same credit card application as a convenient napkin? This tasty presentation would naturally snag the attention of nearby passengers. As word of mouth amplifies interest, similar offers could be made for those willing to complete the silly credit card application. Engage or don’t, but this quiet surprise feels less forced and can become more of a complimenting gesture to show customer appreciation.

That’s just a thought exercise, but we’ve all sat in situations where we were part of a captive audience. There is a fine line and a big difference between adding or detracting from an experience after interest is sparked or sales are made.

How do we treat our existing customers? Do they get attention only when there are issues or you have more to sell? How might we inspire more lasting joy by slowing down, setting efficiency aside, even letting go in a way? Instead of being careless with earned attention, consider unexpected ways to delight customers, which will remind them why they chose you in the first place. Giveaways, handwritten notes, or any gesture that shows you care will retain better customers.

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“Once you wow an audience, the same trick may not work anymore.” -Seth Godin, Free Prize Inside

How we treat existing customers sets the scene and determines the realities of attention retention. When customers feel thoughtfulness, they will stick around because they care as much as you do. This translates into customer retention because true fans take pride in staying connected. They have more patience when issues arise and get excited to share your charming work with others.

By Ben McDougal, ago