For administrators, inducing your employees to have an aura of “entrepreneuralism” is the main ingredient in having an absolute edge. This tool lists 34 ways to help people in your organization think creatively and become in-house entrepreneurs – or “intrapreneurs.”

1. Don’t entertain thoughts of failing. The greatest innovation killer is Fear.

2. Organize teams of coworkers to track the competition and have each team focus on one product or service niche. Administer quarterly performance reporting for all teams in the organization.

3. Hire a strategy consulting specialist to track competitive trends on a regular basis. Ask him or her to present findings in a completely unvarnished fashion. Remind him that his tas is to motivate people to work hard.

4. Make people think, ask them: “What additional products does our company need?”?”

5. Send people from different levels of the organization to trade shows; create a regular forum for people to report on trade show highlights. Make sure that people from different departments attend.

6. Create a team of inter-departmental “imagineers.Include them in planning innovations and ideas to your products and services in a month’s time.

7. Administer an organized focus group of your patrons. Screen new products from your competitors as well as your own products.

8. Put a suggestion or comment box on your site or in your newsletter. Offer an all expense paid trip to Bora Bora as an incentive for the best and most unique idea.

9. Formulate goals on entering joint venture with other companies.

10. Ask employees to talk openly about the things they think the company does well. Encourage them to do it over and over again.

11. Ask employees to talk openly about the things they think the company doesn’t do well. Request ways on how to change it. Implement the most worthwhile suggestions right away.

12. Construct a performance path for modification. E.g. utilize the higher potential of your management team by having them create one new thing that adds value to the organization every month.

13. Develop an internal business venture planning department where employees are encouraged to submit plans and ideas.

14. Provide incentives for the most productive employees.

15. Start an incentive program for “innovative ideas” to improve the organization.

16. Emphasize the importance of innovation in hiring policies.

17. Adduce divisions to work on goal setting and planning. Make sure they answer the question: “What would we do if our two largest competitors merged…”

18. Be a professional in licensing new technology.

19. Create a new customer acquisition team. Ask your staff to seek and find new customers everyday.

20. Be a vigilant when it comes to the latest research and development technologies.

21. Create an advisory panel of people who are most likely be your prospects. Ban yourself from going to bed until they are your clients.

22. Formulate a job rotation program so that employees can have a feel about the other divisions in the company.

23. Form an intern exchange program with a local university lab. For three months employees will work there, students will work for you.

24. Plan for an informal brainstorm focusing solely on innovative ideas. Meet in a room where there are no chairs, ask people to decorate the room.

25. Celebrate innovation!

26. Let people have fun and be ridiculous. Create a fun environment for people to work in.

27. Print out innovative ideas in your company newsletters.

28. Acquaint yourself with business people. Tell them you’re interested in acquiring a company that’s as entrepreneurial as yours in the same market as yours. If nothing is achievable, wait 6 months. rerun the whole step-by-step procedure.

29. Start a regular training session in creative thinking.

30. Tell people it’s okay to fail. Then tell them again.

31. Implement a sabbatical program for employees.

32. Start out an annual internal innovation exhibit.

33. Identify inventors in the community with whom your company would like to form a relationship. Set up an innovator relations team.

34. Run a costume party where people are dressed just like their favorite inventors. Give out prizes.

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