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Global Sustainability Jam is the first step in a relay
As a first-time mentor at Global Sustainability Jam in London, I wanted to share a bit of advice I gave and heard from some of the other mentors today. (I’m paraphrasing the other mentors with creative license here!)
Brainstorm around the problem you’re solving
Patrick Connelly pointed out that you should think about the problem you’re solving and not to be afraid to brainstorm and have ideas about other solutions.
Time box
It’s important to timebox as well. This means decide in advance how long you’ll give yourself to do a certain activity, like brainstorming or deciding on something, and set a timer. Be strict and press on when the time’s up.
Think big, then think of the starting point
If you have a big idea that involves lots of people or resource, that’s great. Also, think about how a smaller version might look. If you can be successful at a smaller scale over the weekend, others wil be able to pick up what you’ve done and build on it, and it can then grow to meet your vision.
Build quickly to test quickly
In a similar light, Luke Nicholson advises us to get something built quickly so you can test it with other people in the room. The feedback you’ll get from doing this sooner and more often is very likely to move you ahead faster than if you keep building in isolation. Techniques like paper prototyping will help you here, but you can also do faster, more uptake-oriented tests like the dogpark test.
Frame it in a familiar way, for the people you’re helping
And in relation to Patrick’s advice about thinking of the problem, think about how your idea can be framed in terms of problems that people are already trying to solve. This will help you in two ways:
- These people you’re thinking about are more specific so will help you have focus and be truly helpful to them.
- When you’re done, others who are already looking to solve this problem will be more likely to find your solution.
Think about the hand-off
This event is the first step in a relay race and at the end of the weekend, you’ll be handing off the baton. The idea is that your hard work will be made available to all via Creative Commons license, so everyone can benefit from it. This hand-off is important in the bigger picture. At some point, turn your energy to making the hand-off smooth and easy so someone can pick up where you left off.
Looking forward to seeing you out there this weekend! Good luck!
