Successful big corporations should devolve into becoming ‘confederations of entrepreneurs.’
Norman McCrae, Editor
Here’s a chicken and egg question. What’s more important: an original idea or the ability to execute the idea? Well in 1982, 80% of the Inc. Magazine’s 500 CEOs thought their company’s killer idea, product, or service lead to success. By the 1990’s, most CEOs thought it was superior execution – process management and project management – that led to success.
On the other hand, an employee may want to commercialize the idea on his or her own. The personal question is even more intriguing: ‘if I have the knowledge, why should I share it with my employer and why not commercialize it myself?’
A huge problem is many companies is while the sharing of information is encouraged, individual contributors with special knowledge are rewarded. Individual excellers in many organizations seem to keep their jobs or expand their influence. Team players get congeniality awards. Moreover, sharers get pink slipped.
Life Lesson Earned: If you work for an organization that encourages sharing, but rewards individual achievement, keep your ideas to yourself and check out other jobs.