Create a crack team of change agents available to parachute into businesses and support the empowerment of it's intrapreneurs to affect the culture of the company and establish an openness to innovation.

These independent Knowmads and “sane crazies” represent about 10% of the population and can be found running businesses, social enterprises or working for others.

Co-ordinated as part of a virtual agency, they can be matched to companies, teams and projects by skills and experience but also wavelength and resonance.

Problem

Many companies have an established culture and 20^th century style of thinking that is not very adaptable, this is increasingly resulting in erosion of value that is not always identified by the board who can often be "married" to the model and too close to the problem to see it.
Rate of change in the business world means they can easily get left behind as more agile models emerge and smaller businesses respond to opportunities with greater agility. This impact of this accelerating velocity is only going to increase so larger organisations need to do some radically different things, using existing methods to review and develop will not help as these processes are too slow.
Usually the business will contain one or two intrapreneurial Positive Deviants of their own, recently these intrapreneurs have been leaving corporations in droves to set up their own businesses. This talent can be retained and nurtured if they are given suitable support and responsibility to affect cultural change and lead innovation.
These people need support and empowerment to effect change and challenge the status quo, support that can be provided on a paid consultancy basis by their like-minded peers in the entrepreneurial world. These creative people in the entrepreneurial and social enterprise world have traditionally been ignored or shunned by corporate boards who prefer to appoint like minded ex-employees as supposed change agents.

Solution

Create an associate consulting model business, utilising the online virtual team management tools to mobilise this community as a crack team of early intervention change agents in the quest to heal the corporate world.

The network of associates would be able to identify and refer opportunities as well as working on projects at their specified day rate and on the terms they propose via their online profile. Each project will have a lead consultant who will work with the client to develop a brief and put together a team of client side and external people using matching tools and processes. The online dashboard system is used to select and manage the project teams and tasks at a macro level.

Practical Impact

An agile and responsive resource that not only enables rapid response to opportunities and risks but affects lasting cultural change by supporting Intrapreneurs in recruiting support for their ideas and initiatives within a business.

Challenges

Cultural change is always a challenge, in particular the need to create internal ownership and navigate silos to establish shared goals and vision.

The key is to help individuals adopt 21st century business practices that establish entrepreneurial behaviours as the norm, starting in small groups built around existing intrapreneurs and building out from their by giving them freedom to work cross functionally on strategic activities.

Getting board members to buy into this initiative is difficult but should be achievable starting with small scale local budget testing that demonstrates the ability of positive deviants to affect profitable change quickly and efficiently.

First Steps

Source associates (and clients via intrapreneurs?) through networks and events
Understand the way they think in order to assign by resonance/relevance/wavelength
Establish primary sales/comms channels CIPD, Other Professional Bodies, Universities
Associates can also refer opportunities
Associates can include intrapreneurs who can create a new income stream (challenging terms of contract)
Use social media listening to identify subtle needs within companies
Utilise digital and online guerrilla campaigns to increase awareness of this disruptive resource
Build strong challenger brand around thinking different

Credits

This idea has been developed in conversation with a number of collaborators, too many to mention in fact! However several of these would be keen to re-engage as the initiative gains momentum.

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July 10, 2013 at 1:21am

Frederic J.Leconte

Mike, great job.
Very well articulated, sensitive but important proposal.
I buy it.

July 11, 2013 at 6:03am

Frederic J.Leconte

It would be nice and fun.
I started a team (2 on board as of today) for one hack, and I joined a team of 3.

This is a max because I am currently in China, flying back to Europe and heading later on to Brasil....so help is greatly appreciated.

We can link or integrate anything you want.You can add entire parts or proof read specifics, or only give some 2 cents on obscure parts (many exist in our proposals)...some are quite border line....but it is hacking action mode...so positive deviants input is a must have.

July 11, 2013 at 1:21pm

Mike Orchard

Thanks Frederic, I will make sure I check out the options and get on board before the deadline

July 11, 2013 at 2:20am

Mike Orchard

Thanks Frederic, have you joined/formed a Hack team already? Perhaps we should combine our efforts?

July 11, 2013 at 6:20am

Frederic J.Leconte

“MODE.CO” HR INNOVATION FRAMEWORK by Audrey Depeige
is the one I joined.
4 on board.1 seat available. Pretty radical and deviant content....

July 11, 2013 at 6:47am

Frederic J.Leconte

H.R FOR "HOLISTIC RESOURCES" ? by myself is a team you can join.
A little less radical although still fun wide open hacking space.
More room for expression and improvement, I view the approach as very close and familiar to your "Pos Devs".....again please dear and dive.
You are more than welcome.
It is a complete open source where you can only add, no fear for ourselves of others changing the scope or the tone, it is even expected to get mutations. (Link with co-mode co-mutzation section).

July 15, 2013 at 6:38am

Olaf Du Pont

Thx for the inspiring hack. I'd allow for another 'wavelength' feature: phase aptitude. Allow knowmads to indicate in what phase of the project they can be most valuable. Some of these knowmads may be experts in getting the problem right, others might collaborate closely with the latter because they're good at ecosystem mapping; while others may relish communicating to engage with resistance or translate the project to the various stakeholders in the organization.
The main trap lurking for these knowmads may be that they're giving support to an intrapreneur who's not aligned to the organization's mission (and may be better off setting up shop on his/her own). For this reason it can be useful to require applicants to go through a signup process that includes questions that put alignment into focus (strategy - mission).

July 15, 2013 at 8:21am

Mike Orchard

Thanks Olaf, we will definitely explore "phase aptitude" in order to help get the right people on the right work at the right time. In terms of intrapreneur journey, it would be interesting to facilitate a range of options, perhaps even including the intrapreneur setting up as a supplier to ther (former) employer because the relationship holds more value in that format???!!!
Would welcome the chance to continue this line of enquiry with you at some point, stay in touch.