The Wright method emphasizes entrepreneurship through outputs as a method to sustain the organization. This transition begins with the definition of entrepreneurship. Organizations often say that they want employees with an entrepreneurial spirit. Many organizations say this, but this isn’t want they want. But, the most profitable organization, and there’s lots of research to support this idea, seek out entrepreneurial people and give them free reign to develop those ideas. This is the definition of entrepreneurship that I’m talking. It is having the ability and the opportunity to come up with ideas and then the free reign to develop those ideas into business proposals even in the context of an existing business environment.
For example, let’s say you have a non-profit administering and after school program. An enterprising employee recognizes that our daily routine, enrichment activities, and the approach of our staff needs to be put into a manual for new hires. The organization supports those efforts to develop the manual. Another employee realizes that the manual tells everybody how to replicate our program. They put together a team with an entrepreneurial lens. The team creates exercises and activity sheets to be used along with the manual. We now have a workbook that other people can use in their after-school programs or individually with their children.
Even though we are an after-school program, our website has a shopping cart with items produced in the course of doing business. They came to be from enabling and promoting that entrepreneurial lens. Some people in your organization, maybe some old school employees, might resist in favor of focusing on “your job.” We are a non-profit business that does this activity, but we also can do this other activity that has the potential to support the business.
Outside the Box
If I might say, one of things then I don’t think I even focus on as much as I really should is the merchandising that goes on around building a brand and the benefit of that as an activity. Even if you have an after-school program as the main business, you can sell T-shirts. Money-making ventures exist that some would argue take away from the mission of organization, but find those that flow within the current business model and contribute directly to the mission. You need those free thinkers who are not going to stay within the box. You need those who will risk and do something novel or take a seemingly mundane outcome to the level of a product for sale.
Responsible Hustle
A responsibility exists for the entrepreneurial thinker as well. You may want to innovate, but you don’t just voice ideas in emails or during staff meetings. The OLM is the solution. It’s more than just going up and saying, “Hey. I’ve got a great idea,” just throwing at somebody verbally. The OLM outlines a complete project logic. You take them the complete outcome logic model fleshed out. That’s a bit harder to dismiss or overlook.
I imagine that a lot of people get discouraged and organizations they feel like they’re giving ideas to over time without seeing any changes. They often are not presenting a full idea. They are just presenting some inputs or assumptions or activities, but the full outcome logic model.
