We can all admit that the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on us all. We are all awaiting its departure, to enable us get back to our everyday lives and get our businesses back on track.
Rather than sitting by and brooding over how your business is on hold, or crashing, how about you engaging in social innovations, built around this phase of reality and have your personal economy still standing, within the storm?
Now, you might think; “oh, everyone is talking about COVID-19, I do not have anything to offer, during this period”. Know that, you have everything to offer.
You do not have to sell nose masks, hand sanitisers and face shields, with the crowd to grow, during this period, for you to add value.
That idea you are thinking about might just be what we need at this period and beyond.
Now, one thing you should know is that, for social innovation, you have to have the ability of futuristic thinking.
Asking yourself, whether your idea can, really stand the test of time, is being futuristic.
Do you want something new? You just have to quit the old.
The pandemic has enabled us to have platforms that can help us to take care of the most vulnerable, through social innovations, creating various solutions, to alleviate the people’s problems.
Being in the space of Social Innovation, how do you engage in futuristic thinking?
Research; observe; show something new; have a different point of view; tell what is missing; ideate; show opportunities; be clear; have a prototype; test your prototype; take action; engage in customer care; let the consumer understand and create a concrete experience.
The above-stated, are the thought of a social innovators and the cycle of future thinking.
Focus on the most vulnerable, prioritize and protect.
You can simply use VUCA, as explained below:
Vision: Identify weak signals, the vulnerable still seeking, have a big picture, thinking and creating, rather than respond.
Understanding: Explore and value diverse persons and their needs. Explore root causes and effects.
Clarity: Be clear. Make sense out of it all. Search and identify the possibilities.
Agility: Embrace change, diversity and accept skills and offerings.
Always accept collaborations and partnerships. These goes a long way, as long as the person you are collaborating, or partnering with, has the same vision as you, or in the circle of your vision.
It is important that your team has the same vision as you and know the story – the reason, or foundation for what you are doing.
Align what you are solving, with the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
Never make the mistake of having a solution, without a problem. A lot of people make this mistake, then, they begin to look for the problem!
Research a problem first, before you provide, or proffer a solution.
Featured Image: medium
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