Why Should You Be an Intrapreneur at work?

Wikipedia defines intrapreneurship as “the act of behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization.” In my view, intrapreneurs are people who have a strong interest in thinking outside the box, pushing new ideas forward in their companies and speaking their mind.

Taking this road isn’t usually a popular choice. It’s easier to go with the flow, collect your paycheck and call it a day. However, the benefits of being an empowered, vocal (直言不讳的) employee are huge. Becoming an intrapreneur at work can help your career and even the careers of people around you in a variety of ways.

Speaking up when something isn’t going as you think it should - even if it’s just the way a project is being approached - demonstrates confidence and forward thinking. If you’ve never viewed yourself as a leader, this might seem very daunting (使人畏缩的) at first. And many people, women especially, might even feel as though they need permission to make their voice heard. The following quote opened my eyes and shifted my perspective on this many years ago:

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”

-Roseanne Barr          

Even if they disagree with you, your colleagues are more likely to respect you as a professional if you demonstrate assertiveness (自信) and independent thinking. Respect yourself and your own ideas, and others will respect you in turn.

Intrapreneurs understand that their careers are in their own hands. If they’re unhappy at work or don’t like something about their workplace or responsibilities, they don’t complain about it; they take steps to change it. Being active instead of passive about your goals and personal vision will make you happier - with your job and yourself - in the long run.

Vocal employees are more likely to produce a culture where everyone believes they can contribute to a larger conversation about the company and its future. This is the key to producing a truly collaborative (协作的) culture that fosters loyalty.

Intrapreneurs don’t think of an idea and then shelve (搁置) it because “the boss will never go for it.” They push forward and ensure their ideas have a voice. They also think creatively about finding a way to make the idea fit within an existing initiative or program. Without people who’re willing to go to bat for their ideas, nothing new and innovative is likely to happen.

Wouldn’t you rather be that person?

【推荐2】People size you up in seconds, but what exactly are they evaluating(评价)？ Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions alongside fellow psychologists Susan Fiske and Peter Glick for more than 15 years, and has discovered patterns in these interactions(互动). In her new book, “Presence”, Cuddy says people quickly answer two questions when they first meet you: Can I trust this person? Can I respect this person?

Psychologists refer to these factors as warmth and competence(胜任) respectively, and ideally you want to be considered as having both. Interestingly, Cuddy says that most people, especially in a professional environment, believe that competence is the foremost factor. After all, they want to prove that they are smart and talented enough to qualify your business.

But in fact warmth, or trustworthiness, is the most important factor in how people evaluate you. “From an evolutionary view,” Cuddy says, “it is more important to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust.” It makes sense when you consider that in cavemen days it was more important to figure out if your fellow man was going to kill you and steal all your possessions than if he was competent enough to build a good fire.

Cuddy’s new book explores how to feel more confident. While competence is highly valued, Cuddy says it is evaluated only after trust is established. And focusing too much on displaying your strength can backfire(产生事与愿违的不良后 果). Cuddy says MBA interns(实习生) are often so concerned about coming across as smart and competent that it can lead them to skip social events, not ask for help, and generally come off as unapproachable.

These overachievers are in for a rude awakening when they don’t get the job offer because nobody got to know and trust them as people. “If someone you’re trying to influence doesn’t trust you, you’re not going to get very far; in fact, you might even cause doubt because you come across as manipulative(会 摆布人的),” Cuddy says. “A warm, trustworthy person who is also competent gains admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than a threat.”

【推荐3】We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t

even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. ＂Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,＂ he explains. ＂The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.＂

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. ＂It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,＂ says Dunn. ＂But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.＂

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. ＂Small talk is the basis of good manners,＂ he says.