growing capacity from social intrapreneurship · growing capacity from within: social...

Growing Capacity from Within: Social Intrapreneurship

Workshop: ReVisioning Value 2010April 27, 2010

Carolyn McKnightDirector of Leadership Programs

Founder and Director, Impact Entrepreneurs

Cindy CooperFounder and Director, Social Innovation Incubator

School of Business Administration

Impact EntrepreneursLeadership Excellence for an evolving world

Network of individuals and groups committed to harnessing the power of business for social impact

Programs

Entrepreneurial Leaders Program

Social Entrepreneur/ IntrapreneurIncubator

Social Enterprise Tours

Students, Faculty, CommunityPublic, Social, Corporate Sectors

WorkPlayshop

• PART I: What is it? Why does it matter?– What is intrapreneurship? Social intrapreneurship?

– Why should companies care?– Roadblocks and tips

• PART II: Taking it home– Excuse me, my life is waiting

• Setting your personal vision and goals– Removing your own roadblocks

PLAYSHOP PART I: Context

• What is intrapreneurship? (aka corporate entrepreneurship)

Gifford and Libba Pinchot coined the term intrapreneur in 1978:1. A set of business practices that liberates people with entrepreneurial

personalities to innovate rapidly inside larger organizations for the benefit of that organization and its customers.

2. The actions of an individual and/or a team that is acting in an entrepreneurial manner to serve the best interests of the larger organization and its supply chain, with or without official support.

Retrieved April 20, 2010 from http://www.pinchot.com/perspective/intrapreneuring/

PLAYSHOP PART I: Context

• What is a social intrapreneur?

Social intrapreneur, n. 1. Someone who works inside major corporations or organizations to develop and promote practical solutions to social or environmental challenges where progress is currently stalled by market failures.2. Someone who applies the principles of social entrepreneurship inside a major organization. 3. One characterized by an ‘insider‐outsider’ mindset and approach.

The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers . SustainAbility, IDEO, Skoll Foundation, Allianz

Business model

Social solution

Social entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneur vs. SociaIIntrapreneur

Business value

Social solution

Social intrapreneurship

Sam McKracken, Nike

Nike Air Native N7• Social opportunity:

– Access to sport– Promote fitness

• Business opportunity:– New revenue stream

– Reputational branding– Competitive advantage

– Innovation in product design


Image from www.nikebiz.com

http://www.nikebiz.com/

What if Sam were operating as a social entrepreneur outside of Nike?

• What chance would he have of “selling” his idea to Nike?

• What would be the pros and cons?• What are some similarities and differences between social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs?

12

The Promise of Social Intrapreneurship

SocietalImpact

BusinessValue

SocialEntrepreneurs

SocialIntrapreneurs

TraditionalNGOs

Traditional CSR

Fundamental

Incremental

Low High

Working together


What kind of apparel would we need to make so Muslim girls could play sports?

How could we helpthe poor earn more Using our cell phones?

Shortening this reportcould save my company millions.

Rather than dreamers on the outskirts, social intrapreneurs are becoming sought

after corporate innovators.

Why should companies care?

• Group brainstorm

Why are companies taking notice?

Society

Company

Individuals

15

GovernmentsConsumersNGOs

MarketsMNCsStart‐ups

PassionAmbitionEthics


Engage StakeholdersStrengthen Brand

Formula for Success: Align with Business Objectives

Decrease Costs

Increase Revenues

New business modelsNew markets Higher sales

OperationalChangesRisk management

Formula for Success: Get Other People on Board

17

GatekeepersChampions

Grassroots enthusiastsCommunicators**Coordinators**Contributors**Calculators**

CATALYSTS*

*The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers. SustainAbility, IDEO, Skoll Foundation, Allianz

INTRAPRENEUR

Austin, J., Leonard, H., Reficco, E., Wei‐Skillern, J. Social Entrepreneurship. It is for Corporations, Too. Chapter 8 in“Social Entrepreneurship: New Models for Social Changed,” edited by Nicholls, A.

Ask yourself: Are you the catalyst or the intrapreneur?

ProcessGetting

itSelling

it Doing it Scaling it

18

Several processes often happen in parallel

Intrapreneur’srealization and/or ideation

Get buy‐inFind catalystsand championsGet the word outfar and wide

Prove the modelPilot the ideaFind seed funds

Integrate it in theBusinessFinancingSustainable RevenuesSell it again


“You have to work in a corporate minefield!”– Off the record comment during research for “The Social

Intrapreneur”


Activity

• What roadblocks would you foresee in your company?

Beware of pitfalls

• “Tissue rejection” in organ transplantation• Financial resources

– Compete against projects with more robust market data and shorter timelines

• Operational issues– Being unprepared to scale up

• Staying true to mission


• Why else do good ideas fail?

Top Tips for Getting Started

1. Be inspired– You will need that passion to persevere

Copyright © 2010 Cindy Cooper. All rights reserved.


2. Do your job better than ever– Your intrapreneurial project may need

to fly under the radar initially



3. Solve problems and create real opportunities for your company (you may need to help redefine opportunity)



4. Follow the “SchnackenbergPrinciple”



5. Follow the “Good Enough Principle” and its corollary

• Fail quickly, fail cheaply (learn, adapt, improve)



6. Build a strong team including leaders who know how to navigate corporate landmines



7. Clean your slate– ask for advice and be smart about

taking it



8. Start with small projects, low hanging fruit (prove you can implement)

• Examples: low‐cost, cost‐cutting, or green programs like recycling



9. Give your big project a small start



10. Learn, sell, learn, sell, learn, sell


Resources• Net Impact

– Making Your Impact at Work: A Practical Guide to Changing the World from Inside Any Company

– www.netimpact.org• SustainAbility

– The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers

– www.sustainability.com• BeDo Intrapreneurs 2009

– http://bedo.com/biz/intrapreneurs/speakers.php(also: YouTube)• Gifford Pinchot and Ron Pellman

– Intrapreneuring in Action: A Handbook for Business Innovation– www.pinchot.com

http://www.netimpact.org/

http://www.sustainability.com/

http://bedo.com/biz/intrapreneurs/speakers.php

http://www.pinchot.com/

Part II: Taking it home

• Excuse me, my life is waiting– Sparking your personal vision and goals

• Bringing your values to work• What intrapreneurial role fits you?

growing capacity from social intrapreneurship · growing capacity from within: social...

Documents