Engage, Network, Action, Count, Take notes, Up your game and Steal ideas – Last minute tips for Enactus UK nationals… #weallwin

Engage, Network, Action, Count, Take notes, Up your game and Steal ideas – Last minute tips for Enactus UK nationals… #weallwin

we all win

So as my fourth national competition closes in I thought I would share some last minute tips for all those newbies around…

Engage in the presentations– When you are watching the teams, as tempting as it is to compare to your own team,  open your minds… It is so easy to spend your time looking critically rather than seeing how you could apply their thinking or angle for your own teams benefit. You can’t change what you have done now anyway so just enjoy!

Network – utilise the opportunity to get great contacts (phone numbers, linkedin, emails, facebook) with the businesses but also remember the incredible value of having other teams and alumni that you can pick up the phone and speak to during the year or in the rest of your life… Genuinely one of the best assets you can have is awesome people to understand your situation and give you advice who have been there and done it or are doing it!

Action – Apply your thoughts and findings within your Enactus team. It is so easy to give excuses or reasons why you can’t do something.. or its in preparation for next year! I did it many times… Don’t… You have one shot at Enactus – have no regrets and do everything you can to make good things happen.

Count the annual reports– The annuals reports are a great asset to collect from other teams. They provide insight that you simply would not get from just the presentations or websites… So get entrepreneurial and work out how you are going to get as many as possible.

Take Notes … You will leave nationals will a million awesome ideas but as soon as the adrenaline and after party hangover come over you… You won’t remember them! It really is as simple as writing down links to  presentations and websites or just key ideas. Also get out your diary now….. yes now…. and put in a time next week when you WILL review them. (Remember no excuses)

Up your game – Nationals is the inspiration but really the only person that can make the most of it is YOU. You are the lucky ones who have been selected from your teams so use this experience and get the most for your team… When you get back you will be changed from the experience, don’t forget the knowledge and experience you are gaining is extremely valuable.

Steal ideas – no really do it… don’t be afraid to take the best parts of other teams ideas… It is not all about coming up with a new way of thinking sometimes it is simply about adapting other peoples into your situation and network to make them better. We are a social enterprise based organisation at the end of the day! #weallwin

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Over the next two days you have the opportunity to transform yourselves, your teams and your potential future career. Make the most of it.

In regards to N, to get you started teams feel free to get in touch if you think I can help or would like to chat. @peterwb1 Linkedin

Here’s another awesome post Enactus UK Blog

everyone


Handout Economy

We all think we are doing fantastic things when people are asking us for money on the high street but during the trip I was able to visualise the legacy of badly managed aid.

During the second week, we were fortunate enough to go to a fantastically managed orphanage called Makaputu, providing a home to 49 young people. We were introduced to the centre last year but this year partnered with an American team that was working with some of the young people to look at their entrepreneurial attitude. Our team went in and delivered a session on creative thinking and basic business model canvasing. Both techniques to assist in them taking their business to the next level.

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After delivering the session, we were kindly asked by the centre if we would like to join them on a food handout into the local townships, an opportunity I jumped on. It was a real insight into the aid culture in the townships, Graham the outreach manager from Makaputu, showed us into the most at risk households.

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We were shocked to find about 10 children sleeping on 2 single beds, in a room no bigger than what would be considered a box room in England. This was a challenging concept further challenged by the fact that in this tiny house they had two TVs, DVD player, video player and some sort of music player. It was a really difficult concept to deal with as they don’t have enough money for food but will spend on luxury items.

This finding was then compounded when we arrived at the community centre. This centre, Graham informed us, might deal with around 40 families, that could be up to 10 people per family (although it is difficult to know for sure). The people that were there when we were talking to them had no ambition to earn money or get a job but were instead complacent to rely on the handouts. It was a highly frustrating concept for me.

The truth is there are many organisations doing fantastic things with the donations that are given but please think before you give to organisations who are simply providing a product to a foreign country. Often their is a deeper problem than the most visible one which relies on organisations like World Changers and Makaputu who change mindsets to see real change within the economy.