Have you noticed that we are living in the age of the entrepreneur?
The word itself conjures up all sorts of images and ideas, some positive, some negative when we read the word entrepreneur.
For example, I remember as a teenager, a guy on television who would be selling all things phone technology. He was energetic and would often yell at the camera to help us buy the phone system he was selling in that moment. I remember hearing my grandfather exclaim he was a “shonkey entrepreneur type”.
We, here in Australia also enjoy an entrepreneurial heritage including the likes of Christopher Skase, Alan Bond, The Packer family and of course Rupert Murdoch. Unfortunately, we don’t always have fond memories or associations with these entrepreneurial types.
We as health professionals are very used to putting the care needs of client’s their family and their communities first. We are incredibly heart and soul centred, and we will often put the perceived needs of our clients before our own needs. We are risk adverse. We prefer to know all the answers to all the questions and have all the contingencies in place before we make a decision or try something new.
After all, in our clinical work if we take a risk and it goes wrong, people often end up hurt.
However, if we are going to stay relevant in this age, we need to be mindful of and ready to adopt the literacy of the entrepreneur. And please don’t misunderstand me. This is not just for clinicians who want to be self-employed or create their own business. We as employers are now expectant that employees, staff and subcontractors will come with the literacy skills associated with entrepreneurism. This is the value add we are craving!
What then do I mean by literacy? Well, I’m pretty sure if you are reading this then you will be aware of your English literacy. You are using your English literacy skills right now – those being the ability to read and write.
A literacy is competence in a specified area.
We have numeracy which is numerical literacy.
We have digital literacy, which are the skills we now need to live, learn, work and participate in a society where communication and access to information is conducted through digital means such as internet platforms, social media and a range of devices.
I could also argue that in my industry I have rehabilitation literacy. The language, skills and way of thinking that allows me to execute my clinical work. I know I can often speak in rehabilitation terms that would appear very foreign to someone who is not involved in the industry (e.g. Is your SDP signed by the NTD so that I can send the RTWP off to the insurer?)
So, what is entrepreneurial literacy and why is it important that we know about it?
Most of the research available tends to discuss the need for business acumen when setting up a business or an enterprise. It speaks into the need for understanding company structures; the relevant numbers in your business, how to read a profit and loss and then what to do with this information.
However, entrepreneurial literacy is more than simply understanding the numbers in a business or a business unit, it is more than knowing the science of profitability.
Entrepreneurial literacy means that people have an understanding of what makes a business run; how to add value to marketing efforts; how to add value to operational management; to have an innovative idea for service improvement then discuss it and take responsibility for it; to risk speaking out in a team meeting when something is/ isn’t working and take responsibility for a solution; adding value by generating new business leads; or ways to nurture a team.
Many of us as employers will want to know if a new hire can add to our social media presence; will write blogs; will actively engage in community partnerships all on top of their day to day “work tasks”. New hires who avoid creating videos or engaging in marketing are likely to stay not hired.
How many of us will want our new hires to be proficient in understanding how a private enterprise works and how their role fits into this enterprise? How refreshing is it when a team member comes to you with a solid business proposal and a desire to see it in action – on top of their normal day to day tasks.
How many of us will simply expect a standard of clinical competency, but then hire because of the added extras – such as a solid social media presence or a desire to get involved in marketing and business development; innovation and new ideas to improve service delivery.
Quite simply being clinically competent is no longer enough. Our clients expect us the be clinically competent. They now want the added value of knowing we are real people, who get them and can help them move beyond their pain. They expect to be informed before they are treated, and they crave relationship more than just treatment.
Our employers expect us to be clinically competent in the execution of our work add to the value of the business.
Our referral sources expect us to be clinically competent but want to know how we will work together, looking for ways we all add value to each other.
And we dear entrepreneurial clinicians, we are craving this too. The opportunity to be creative, the opportunity to be real and authentic, the opportunity to reach people where they are at, not in our clinical speak.
It is time to let go of the myth that entrepreneurial thinking is all about making money and see it for what it is – the opportunity to be creative and reach more people who need our services.
If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, you can read more about The Entrepreneurial Clinician in my book of the same title.
Who Is Jo Muirhead?
Jo is all about connecting people to purpose through inspiration and innovation. Author of The Entrepreneurial Clinician, she is also the Founder and Principal Consultant of PurpleCo a team of specialist allied health consultants dedicated to helping people who experience injury illness and trauma reclaim their lives through work. Jo is passionate about the health benefits of work and truly believes that everyone has the right to meaningful and rewarding employment. Purple Co grew out of this belief as a truncated form of PURpose for peoPLE. Jo is also an advocate coach and mentor for health professionals who want to create a fulfilling work life.
