Tyler Robinson is Chairman of Young Government Leaders, and Director of the Portfolio Risk & Reporting Division at the Export-Import Bank.

That was fast, it seemed just like yesterday that we were starting a new fiscal year with goals in mind for what we wanted to accomplish over the next 12 months. Now, we are over halfway through and what have been the fruits of our labors? I have talked with a few who, after six months, say something along the lines, "I know I did a bunch of stuff, but can't really pinpoint what it was or what the results were."

Our agencies have big missions and we work daily to produce results for the American people. However, we can always do better and being results-driven, which is one of the Executive Core Qualifications, is important. Furthermore, The Office of Personnel Management has identified 6 competencies as vital to being results-driven, they are:

  • Accountability;
  • Customer Service;
  • Decisiveness;
  • Entrepreneurship;
  • Problem Solving;
  • Technical Credibility.

All of these are important, but I am going to focus on the entrepreneurship competency. OPM defines the term as someone who "positions the organization for future success by identifying new opportunities; builds the organization by developing or improving products or services. Takes calculated risks to accomplish organizational objectives."

I believe the word "Intrapreneur" is more apt for how we display this competency within our agencies. Being an intrapreneur means exhibiting entrepreneurial traits within an existing organization. Below are three ideas to help you get started on your intraprenuerial path.

The Power of the Pilot

Many times when you have an idea on how to do something new it seems like a gargantuan task for it to be implemented agency-wide or even within your own division. Think smaller before thinking bigger. Look for those opportunities to try something new and propose doing a pilot program. The nice thing about a pilot program is that there is a chance to step back, assess, and look to see if it is going well or not. You can then change course or cancel it all together, which would be much harder if it was launched as a full-fledged program. Be clear on your evaluation criteria before launching so that there are no surprises at the end for why you are now proposing to roll it out further or not.

I'll do it

Another great way to be an intrapreneur is to take on special projects where there is more autonomy to be able to experiment with how to accomplish the task at hand. Special projects let you tackle it like an entrepreneur and build something from the ground up. After you have accepted the special project, heed Jim Collins' advice in his book Good to Great; you need to get the right people on the bus in the right seats. A special project can allow you to build a cross divisional team. Even if you can't pick the people, think about each person's strengths so that they are in their best seat. After building your team, collaboratively establish what success looks like so that everyone knows where the bus is going.

Follow the Leader

From the newest hire to the head of an agency, you can be an intraprenuer within your organization if you keep your eyes open for opportunities. In addition to being an intraprenuer yourself, it is also important to set the tone for your group so that they too can try pilots and have access to special projects. At Young Government Leaders (YGL) we asked members about the biggest barriers to retaining younger employees. The number 1 answer was the quality of work assignments. This was ahead of career advancement opportunities, private sector opportunities, their manager and others. I know in my career special projects have been immensely valuable.

Why are we here

At the end of the day we are here to serve our fellow Americans and to do it well. We have big missions that require big results. It may feel at times that your results driven mindset drives you right into a fire hydrant and creates a big mess. Keep at it, implement more pilot programs, volunteer to run more special projects, and provide opportunities for others to do the same.

Share:
In Other News
Load More