- 6/12/13
Integrating a startup mindset in a big corporation may get your employees to start innovating.
Companies such as Google and Facebook offer employees endless perks — free meals, bikes, stand-up desks, onsite barbershops and designated sleeping areas during the work day. It should therefore come as no surprise that prospective hires are flocking to these companies. Moreover, although many Silicon Valley technology companies are large, they have embraced a startup mindset that provides employees with a unique work experience.
But companies don't need to be private, small or offer a litany of perks to promote a work environment rich in office culture, visibility and personal ownership — the main qualities of startups. Big corporations that emote and develop qualities like these can reinvigorate their business and motivate their employees, leading to a more engaged and passionate learning environment.
At its core, the startup mindset is an entrepreneurial spirit, according to Michael Larrain, president of active cosmetics at L'Oreal. He said developing a corporate culture that mimics a small business is an essential management tool.
“Large companies can reach levels of complacency that stifle risk-taking and creativity,” Larrain said. “I like to surround myself with individuals that have an attitude of exploration and risk-taking — which isn't always the first course of action for traditional corporate leaders.”
Large corporations can quickly lose this spirit as the size and scale of a business shifts. This can also lead big businesses to become what Larrain called “stuck in the mud” in terms of their innovative thinking. Larrain said he works to prevent this.
A startup's unique work environment innately values an employee's aspirational vision, creative thinking and uninhibited experimentation, according to Brian Matthews, the associate dean of learning and outreach at Virginia Tech University.
Generally, when launching a successful startup, the founder, manager and employees work together with limited resources to achieve specific business goals. These goals ultimately shape employee qualities and culture. And while big businesses are not able to replicate the high-stakes nature of a startup, they can certainly facilitate favorable employee behaviors.
But companies don't need to be private, small or offer a litany of perks to promote a work environment rich in office culture, visibility and personal ownership — the main qualities of startups. Big corporations that emote and develop qualities like these can reinvigorate their business and motivate their employees, leading to a more engaged and passionate learning environment.
At its core, the startup mindset is an entrepreneurial spirit, according to Michael Larrain, president of active cosmetics at L'Oreal. He said developing a corporate culture that mimics a small business is an essential management tool.
“Large companies can reach levels of complacency that stifle risk-taking and creativity,” Larrain said. “I like to surround myself with individuals that have an attitude of exploration and risk-taking — which isn't always the first course of action for traditional corporate leaders.”
Large corporations can quickly lose this spirit as the size and scale of a business shifts. This can also lead big businesses to become what Larrain called “stuck in the mud” in terms of their innovative thinking. Larrain said he works to prevent this.
A startup's unique work environment innately values an employee's aspirational vision, creative thinking and uninhibited experimentation, according to Brian Matthews, the associate dean of learning and outreach at Virginia Tech University.
Generally, when launching a successful startup, the founder, manager and employees work together with limited resources to achieve specific business goals. These goals ultimately shape employee qualities and culture. And while big businesses are not able to replicate the high-stakes nature of a startup, they can certainly facilitate favorable employee behaviors.
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