Think Like an Entrepreneur, Wherever You Are

 Think Like an Entrepreneur, Wherever You Are:

In recent years, countless universities have created programs dedicated to to the new interdisciplinary academic field of entrepreneurship. They draw students, from engineering to the arts, who understand that they’ll always need the knowledge, skills, and flexibility to easily redefine their jobs or even create their own enterprises.

The fascination with entrepreneurship isn’t limited to undergraduate students. Journalist and career guru Kerry Hannon, who penned the foreword to this book, has written extensively about how entrepreneurial activity could be the next act for millions of Baby Boomers. She reports that a rising tide of people ages 55 or older wants to keep working on their own terms and at times that requires starting a new business.

But even if you don’t expect to ever create a business, developing a more entrepreneurial attitude could bring new vitality to your existing job. You might start your mental shift by imagining how it would be possible to reinvent your current job, change career gears, or launch a business or nonprofit at some point in the future.

If you want to act like an entrepreneur, start here:

Know the mission- Entrepreneurs tend to be passionate about their work. They set goals and they plan activities to support those goals.  To be truly goal-minded, it’s not enough that you understand your own objectives. You also should understand your organization’s mission, the challenges it faces, and the way your contribution supports the collective strategy.

Focus on the customer- If you start a business, your customers will ultimately determine whether you succeed. Everything you do in a business must be focused on your customers. It’s your job to know what they need, what they want, and what they think. And it’s the same if you work in a large organization. Your success depends on the products and services you deliver to your bosses, your colleagues, and other “customers” as well. ask yourself how you might better serve your current customers and look for ways to broaden your customer base.

Understand business basics-  As a professional, you should be
 familiar with all the functions that make up a simple business.
 You need to be comfortable with commercial lingo and clear about how various businesslike activities are embodied in your organization, even if it’s a government agency. Ask yourself: Do
 I have a mental picture of the operations that bring this outfit to life—everything from product development to budgeting,   marketing, and sales? Do I understand the roles of support services like human resources and public affairs?

Practice failure-  Successful entrepreneurs know that everyone has, and can learn from, false starts. When they experience failure, they analyze what went wrong and apply the lesson to the next opportunity. There’s a saying that “entrepreneurs fail
their way to the top.” But if you’re used to success, you may become so afraid of failing that you won’t take chances. This can stifle your inventiveness and limit your ability to collaborate and innovate. To mitigate your fear of failure, take up some activities where your success is not assured. For example, if you have no talent for dancing but your spouse loves it, sign up for a class. So what if you don’t excel? The two of you will still have fun and you’ll discover that it can be okay to not excel.

Choose to be positive- As we’ll discuss in later chapters, the research is clear: you can learn to be more optimistic. Begin by noticing your own language, including the way you talk inside your head. If you are given to complaints, regrets, and self-   deprecation, learn to let that negativity go.

Build your brand- Your “brand” is what you stand for, including
 your values, your personal characteristics, and the quality of
 your work.