By that I mean every individual involved, no matter what role or level of seniority they happen to have, completely understands the need to be driving the business forward.
Of course, not everyone can be an entrepreneur and the majority of people prefer the security that comes with working for a large business. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but it is still possible to create a culture where people are encouraged to think in a more dynamic manner.
The most obvious way to get people on board is to link their personal remuneration to the performance of the company. If people happen to come up with ideas to drive the business forward and increase profits or brand awareness, they should be rewarded.
But creating an entrepreneurial culture is about much more than introducing performance related pay – it should inform and shape everything you do as a business.
That means creating the kind of environment where everyone is encouraged to think creatively and to come up with new ideas and strategies. Consider setting aside certain times of the week or month where people can bounce ideas off each other. At Hamilton Bradshaw we have an open plan office and this is something which I have been a fan of since I started my career. I believe it naturally encourages collaboration between various departments, and without even realising it people end up improving their skill set – which can only be of benefit to the business.
Never underestimate the importance of the recruitment process either. It does not matter what post you are trying to fill; you should be looking for ambitious self-starters who are comfortable with adapting to new ideas and concepts. Don't just confine them to their department when they start work either. The induction process should be an opportunity for them to get to know all the facets of the business.
Of course when people think of entrepreneurs, they automatically think of risk taking, and I suppose an element of this is true. You are thinking outside of the box at times which can carry a slight risk – but also provide great rewards. Therefore one thing you want to avoid in your company is the fear of failure. The last thing you want is for your employees to be afraid of the consequences, as this just stifles any sense of creativity or innovation.
It is vitally important that you don't just pay lip service to your culture either. There needs to be a real commitment from everybody, and this particular includes the people at the top. So often you hear of managers putting forward a great initiative but not following it through to its conclusion, and this is more of a backwards step than anything. The business leaders are the ones who set the tone for everyone else, so the more committed they are to developing an entrepreneurial culture, the more chances there are of it catching on.