Welcome to the second issue of Spark. If you missed the first issue, you can find it archived on our website in the resources section.
This month's Spark is dedicated to two related themes--entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.
Entrepreneurship is setting your boat out on the waters as a business owner or sole proprietor. As you'll discover in this month's article, intrapreneurship is the ability to develop and manage your career within an organization using much the same tools and know-how as an accomplished entrepreneur.
The people who most successfully manage their careers acquire formidable skills in either or both of these areas. Take our free "Are You an Entrepreneur?" career assessment (below) to find out more about being an entrepreneur, or apply similar thinking to learn the powerful skillset of intrapreneurship.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth McAloon, CPCC
Why You Need To Be an Intrapreneur
Managing your career like a business
When a client asks me if I think he or she is a good candidate for starting a new business, I ask several questions (see our free assessment, "Are You an Entrepreneur?"). But the truth of the matter is that these questions are similar to ones that I'd ask someone who wants to move up in an organization or find a new position elsewhere. When people call an executive coach after deciding to make a change or being laid off, those who have treated their career like their own business will have a much easier time.
Having an entrepreneur mindset is a necessary asset for being recognized and rewarded in your organization. The employees who are primarily reactive will not reach the top. Sure, they'll be rewarded to a point for their faithful and accurate adherence to the established goals of the organization--but these are not going to be the people calling the shots for the big games. An entrepreneur mindset means thinking of the gestalt, or whole, of the organization and recognizing where you fit into the scheme of things; recognizing the impact of your actions on the system and how you can craft and increase that impact. It means having great relationship abilities and an uncanny knowledge and intuition of your "clients"--your colleagues, senior management teams, and your staff, as well as external customers.
Words to Consider
We must overcome the notion that we must be regular...
it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you
to the mediocre. --Uta Hagen
Are You an Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur isn't for everyone. It takes a unique type of person with a specialized set of skills to make a success of it. The good news is that even if you don't possess these qualities now, coaching can help you develop them so you can
hit the ground running. And even if entrepreneurship isn't for you, organizations need great intrapreneurs.
Take our free "Are You an Entrepreneur?" career assessment to see how prepared you are to start and run your own business.
Upcoming Events
Not just for coaches
In September, Elizabeth will once again be offering her brown-bag teleclass "Marketing How-to's for Coaches." Brush up on your promotion skills, learn about new marketing techniques, and find out what will work for you--and what won't. This class isn't only for coaches, though--it's also perfect for any service business start-up.
The teleclass will be held in six one-hour sessions.
Hope you can join us for this fun and rewarding experience!
For further information on signing up and topics to be discussed, email Elizabeth at information@themcaloongroup.com.
