Why not ask the cleaner?
Why not ask the cleaner?
Sustainable Development Goals as provided by the United Nations.
Launch & Iterate - just start! Don’t wait for it to be perfect.
Regardless of the industry or size of business you’re in, on a daily basis we’re all in the business of solving problems. Too often, it’s easy to get caught up in ourselves going around and around in our heads conjuring up a myriad of reasons why we can’t move forward on a problem. (Been there, done that!) This is human nature, our minds are built to protect us from the unknown, it’s a perceived danger.
Instead, perhaps we could remind ourselves, “battles are won by taking ground each day” - Sally-Ann Willams (more on her below).
What problems could you be solving in your business right now? Remember, you don’t need to have all the answers yourself, that’s where a team comes into play - build a coalition around yourself. Look outside the directors and executive team, why not ask your cleaner or your receptionist or your assistant what they think? How THEY would solve the problem. Afterall, they’re on the ground and in the field each and every day. From what I’ve learnt, the greatest solutions come from setting aside ego and stepping into co-creation.
This notion of thinking is not solely my own, of course. No. It’s inspiration and my interpretation based on a talk I heard from a very clever woman recently. Sally-Ann Williams. While Sally-Ann may not be a household name to most (yet), let me tell you, this woman is total powerhouse! A former Google Australia employee responsible for leading efforts in supporting entrepreneurship within the tech industry, Sally-Ann grabbed my attention recently when she delivered an engaging keynote on generating ideas and starting before you’re “ready”, at the ‘Women making a difference’ forum run by WCEI and TIAW.
Now, CEO of Cicada Innovation, “a program driven incubator for deep tech startups and scaleups”, Sally-Ann is continuing her mission to transform Australia through technology entrepreneurship, she’s literally at the forefront of solving problems.
Not got any problems you could be solving? Lucky you. In that case, here’s a few prepared earlier for you….why not check out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as set by the United Nations General Assembly and sink your teeth into one of those?! On her recent visit back to Australia, I had the privilege of being invited to meet and contribute to a round table discussion with Ms Gillian Bird, Australian Ambassador to the United Nations. Ms Bird also spoke of the SDGs and Australia’s commitment to being a team player on the world stage.
While we as individuals might not be able to single handedly solve one of the world's sustainability goals, what we can do is ‘clean up our own side of the street’.
Let’s start in-house - clean up our mind set firstly, we are all responsible for the energy we bring into a space each and every day. Next, let's look to our home life and workplaces, what problems can we be cleaning up there? Remember, finding solutions is about taking one step forward each day, winning the battle ground each day.
So why not take a step back, look around, ask around your team what they think. You never know, you might actually find an innovation solution to your problem that may never have been conceived inside the boardroom.
[Pictured: Gillian Bird, Australian Ambassador to the United Nations & Sarah Yarrow, Sarah Yarrow Interiors]
