At the heart of HWL’s mission is the need to understand how care organisations can stimulate and harness intrapreneurship, and there’s no better place to start than hearing from Steve McCreadie, CEO of the Lens – one of Scotland’s leading expert advisors on the topic.
John Mathers, HWL advisor and former CEO of the Design Council, hears from Steve about the value of intrapreneurs and understand how to exploit it in the care sector.
Here’s a snapshot of their conversation.
1. 'The HWL challenge is to discover ideas that will improve recruitment and retention of older care workers - so how do you encourage constant innovation in that group?'
“It starts with recognising that we all want our voice to be heard. And realising that the more we can align with the purpose of the organisation for whom we work, the better.
We need to capture the imagination of what is possible … recognise that there is hope and optimism, that change is possible … and deliverable. And remember that Intrapreneurship puts the voices of the people we serve at the very centre.”
2. What does the Lens do?
“At its simplest we help organisations find buried treasure. Working in the public sector, and particularly in healthcare, we find the ideas which deliver real and meaningful impact by mining the talents of the people who work in these organisations. Our focus is on the people and their ideas and their ability … what we increasingly term ‘Intrapreneurship’.
Intrapreneurship harnesses the creativity, insights, and expertise of the people within communities and organisations. It creates opportunities to develop people and their ideas, creating space, permission, and sponsorship to make these ideas a reality.”
3. Is there currently a culture of Intrapreneurship in healthcare in Scotland?
“It’s definitely emerging … but in pockets. The Lens has been in working in this area for almost a decade for eight years and we have seen many examples … but it’s fair to say that currently it’s patchy and fragmented. In our experience it is totally dependent on the nature and ability of the leadership within healthcare. And we realise totally that it is a real challenge when the care sector is under so much pressure.
The opportunity is to tap into the vision, drive and commitment of senior leaders and marry that with the ability and enthusiasm of front-line staff."
4. Why is intrapreneurship more important than ever?
“As the cost-of-living bites and recession looms, we look at how investing in intrapreneurship can help organisations of all shapes and sizes develop their services, increase staff well- being, and improve the lives of the communities they serve.
We’re currently working in the most challenging times seen in over a decade. As we recover from the pandemic and face the cost-of-living crisis, there is increasing demand, yet fewer resources to meet it. Organisations everywhere know that they need to adopt new ways of working to weather the storm that lies ahead, but that is often easier said than done.
At The Lens, we understand the aspiration and ambition to innovate. We also understand that taking risks is a challenge, especially during an economic downturn. But what if there was a way to identify and develop ground-breaking ideas that would not only help to improve services, but also help organisations futureproof themselves? What if there was a way to do this that empowers existing staff and communities, upskilling them and building their confidence in the process? And what if all of this could be achieved with low risk? That’s what developing intrapreneurship can do.”
5. The HWL challenge is to discover ideas that will improve recruitment and retention of older care workers - so how do you encourage constant innovation in that group?
“It starts with recognising that we all want our voice to be heard. And realising that the more we can align with the purpose of the organisation for whom we work, the better.
We need to capture the imagination of what is possible … recognise that there is hope and optimism, that change is possible … and deliverable. And remember that Intrapreneurship puts the voices of the people we serve at the very centre.”
As it happens, there is a way. Intrapreneurship.
How we help organisations through Intrapreneurship
Steve McCreadie, CEO of The Lens, explains
“Our work is based on the belief that those closest to the problem often have the best solutions. It builds confidence in individuals and ideas whilst providing a high energy, forward-thinking environment for people to come together, learn, and collaborate.
We partner with organisations that are open and receptive to implementing change, helping to shift their culture and deliver on their strategic objectives. Through tailored workshops and Programmes, we provide staff and communities with the skills and tools they need to make their ideas a reality. From storytelling, which helps them articulate the value of their idea in a more engaging way, to creating business models and understanding their end user – we support them every step of the way, helping them build a solid business case for investment.
A key part of our process is prototyping. We encourage people to test their ideas before they scale them up, which really helps put senior leader’s minds at ease because it’s low risk and low cost.”
What’s unique about the Lens is we complement you wherever you are. We have a deep respect for the expertise and industry knowledge your people have, but what we bring to the table is the skills they need to tell people about their idea, understand its value, and ensure it can be delivered sustainably.”
Intrapreneurship: is now the right time to invest?
In times of adversity, Intrapreneurship is more important than ever. Here’s three reasons why:
- It helps you improve existing services so that there’s more capacity to look at the bigger picture.
- It helps redistribute pressure and costs by empowering others to play an active role in service redesign.
- It provides both personal and professional development for staff and communities, which benefits both them and the organisation.
Intrapreneurship at work: Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership
The UK is in crisis, with workers across the country asking for fairer pay, better working conditions, and improved access to key services. At the forefront of the crisis is the NHS and organisations providing health and social care services. They understand all too well the struggles of their patients and service users, but with reduced budgets, extensive wait times and low staff morale, many feel that there’s no resolution in sight.
However, in southwestern Scotland, one Health and Social Care Partnership has blazed the trail for doing things differently, providing a beacon of hope for both staff and communities.
In 2022, Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) partnered with The Lens to deliver its first ever Intrapreneurship Programme: ‘Making the Leap with The Lens’.
The premise was simple: they wanted to identify, test, and develop ideas designed to help people live well at home for longer. They knew that, by giving both front-line staff and community members the opportunity to play an active role in developing and improving services, they’d not only be improving the lives of those accessing care, but empowering those closest to the problem, upskilling them in the process.
To make this happen, DGHSCP committed an Investment Fund of £50k for staff and community members to share and develop their ideas. They showed courageous leadership by recruiting an Investment Team to manage the shortlisting process, placing their full trust in the community's capabilities. Six teams were shortlisted to participate in the Programme, and through a series of tailored workshops, they were able to articulate the value of their ideas in a way they never envisioned possible. Two teams realised they could be stronger if they worked together, which resulted in five teams pitching for investment.
Several months later, in January of this year, the five teams presented their ideas to an Investment Team made up of panellists from a range of backgrounds. From Mental Health Support Workers to Carers, the panellists understood the problem DGHSCP were trying to solve from their own lived experience and were responsible for allocating funding to help make the teams’ ideas a reality.
On the day, all five teams secured investment for their ideas. Now, the intrapreneurs – those who participated in the Programme – are working within the Partnership, and alongside The Lens to turn their ideas into action.
Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care partnership are so confident in the impact achieved, they have committed to an intrapreneurship programme across the whole partnership, and included unpaid carers.
“I was surprised at the number of ideas that were put forward, and the quality of those ideas” – Carol Bell, Investment Team Member
Steve McCreadie, reflecting on the Programme – “One of the best things about this partnership has been seeing how much people’s confidence has developed. It’s incredible watching front-line staff and community members stand in front of senior leaders and say “Hey, I have an idea that will make things better and here’s how we can make it happen”.
Take Anne of Wheatley Homes South for example. Her idea, ‘What if...?’, will see the development of VR technology designed to help those suffering with memory loss reclaim their memories in a safe and supportive environment.
Another example is Alan Kelly of Daar Lodge. He led a team whose idea was for an ‘Inclusion Garden’, which will tackle poor mental health and wellbeing caused by loneliness and isolation by providing a space for intergenerational communities to come together, connect with nature, and develop new skills such as growing vegetables and cooking. It’s been so successful, there are plans to replicate across other care homes in the region.
What’s great about our approach is that it provides staff with the reassurance that their voices will be heard, because the leadership team have made a public commitment that they will actively listen. It also provides a platform for those closest to the problem to have a chance at solving it, which in turn helps senior leaders see the issue from a fresh perspective.
“After completing the Programme, the one piece of advice I’d give to others is if you have an idea, put it forward because there are people out there who will listen to you.” Nick Dickson, Intrapreneur
In times of hardship, we’re forced to focus on what’s important and what’s necessary. For DGHSCP, they knew that above all else, they needed to provide quality care for their service users. Intrapreneurship has galvanised their staff and communities, uniting them on that shared purpose. Not only that, but by empowering their staff and providing them the opportunity to make a difference, they’ve freed up capacity which will enable them to help others in need of support too.
We can’t wait to see the winning ideas in action and are hopeful that other Health and Social Care Partnerships across the country will see the benefits and consider adopting an intrapreneurial culture themselves’.
Jenny Coxon, Lead Developer of the DGHSCP Pilot Programme.
“It was a privilege to hold space for this community of action-focused change-makers. Each Intrapreneur took the brave step to bring forward and develop ideas to improve and enhance lives, whilst juggling professional and personal commitments...no small task! Their hard work for the duration of the programme absolutely paid off. Their ability to have a vision for hope during these challenging times has been humbling and encouraging. We need more people to be part of the change.”