Entrepreneurship: we have heard this word time and time again, but what about Intrapreneurship? Intrapreneurship is applying an entrepreneurial mindset to an employee role.  As an employee, many of us have real concerns about being replaced, laid off, or even fired. By employing an intrapreneurial focus to your role, you can become an invaluable employee that the company covets and needs. In an interview on The Dr. Jaime Show, Jodi McLean, author of Intrapreneur: Discover how to be the Irreplaceable Employee shares 3 tips on what it takes to become an Invaluable Employee.

How to Become an Invaluable Employee in 3 Steps

Step 1: Know Your Value

As an intrapreneur, you must approach your employee role as your own business. Companies market their strengths and their unique value to their prospects and customers every single day. That’s how businesses fill their pipeline with qualified leads and new customers while keeping their current client base happy. As an employee, you need to shift your focus to thinking about the services that you provide as being your own business, and your one-and-only client is the company that pays you. No one owes you a position or a paycheck, you have to re-earn that revenue stream every day that you come to work.

You must become self-aware so that you can understand your personal marketability that will not only keep your “one-and-only client” happy but also entice potential customers to take notice of you and gain new job opportunities.  In order to know your value, make a list of the unique features that you bring to your role. It can be things like tenure, examples of innovative ideas, problem-solving measures, bottom-line sensitivity, and advocacy for the company.

Step 2: Have a Pitch

To become an invaluable employee you should be able to pitch your company to a client. You must understand the customer’s problems and the unique solutions that your company solves in order to complete a successful pitch. Having a strong pitch can solve the problem in one short sentence. If your company doesn’t already have a corporate pitch, this is your opportunity to step up and show initiative and innovation. Way to be an intrapreneur!

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Step 3: Be Brave 

Being an intrapreneur requires stepping up and taking a stand and that can be scary. It is important that you internalize and believe in your strengths.  You must feel conviction in your value. Market yourself and relentlessly. Make corporate leaders very aware of the value and strategic commitment that you bring to the company. Speak up and be vocal about your successes and hard work.  Be brave in marketing yourself to your “one and only” client.

You can be brave by speaking out professionally through the many social media platforms.  Try blogging as a method to promote your company. Also, you can be a valuable asset to your company by being prepared for meetings and bringing innovative ideas to share. During annual performance reviews, take charge with well-written and documented examples of projects you have lead up throughout the year.  Consider opportunities outside of your department, like having lunch with leaders from different divisions or attending networking events to meet people in your community. Think outside of the job parameters in the company policies when it comes to being brave and speaking up. Thinking outside of the box is part of what makes you an intrapreneur and invaluable employee.