We don’t have the money, so we have to think.
– Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) on Kiwi ingenuity (Image pottery sculpture by Robin Murdoch)
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/rutherford-of-nelson-1972
Whilst not quite as of earth-shattering importance to the splitting of the atom, nevertheless , attention to quickly fixing the digital divide must be given more priority.
Probably Rutherford would not disagree.
As the digital juggernaut of our current times rampages onward, fuelled from our application of knowledge of physics gained from Rutherford’s discoveries, ownership and economic benefits of our digital world are being syphoned into globally owned silos benefiting few.
In New Zealand I Aotearoa now, Kiwi Ingenuity is needed more than ever.
In my hometown Whanganui, nothing is truer than this statement for me,.
Certainly, I don’t have the money to do what I want to achieve for digital inclusion, so my path to success has plenty of deep thinking going on for sure!
Just properly knowing ‘why’ seems to be a really promising and most fundamental aspect to understand properly to help me lessen the digital divide gaps here.
Another conundrum needing better clarification is to know ‘why’ for three different purposes.
Firstly for me Alistair Fraser the person, plus secondly for Crystal Adventures my social entrepreneurship enterprise, and thirdly as Digital Ambassador Whanganui for the Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa and my community.
My life is bound around these three purposes.
Already, they work really well together and there are plenty of synergies I can leverage. However, they are different and I believe this an important and good thing to ensure I can reach my fullest potential.
Perhaps if I ask myself ‘why’ for each purpose I can crank up with more power and win the ‘Trifecta’!
One of the books I am reading currently to review for the Business Whanganui book club https://businesswhanganui.nz/event/book-club is “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek.
https://simonsinek.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Start_with_Why
My approach is reading to understand the key messages and then to consider how to apply these best to my role as DIAA’s Digital Ambassador Whanganui.
Simon Sinek’s view makes plenty of sense. He says that knowing why we are doing things and understanding why before we consider how or what is the only way to be successful and sustainable.
Luckily for me, OPENA Chat GPTo has become my personal thinking assistant.
In the past without ChatGPT I would never have found the time to read and understand a book so easily. Some might say this is cheating, but I am sure using ChatGPT is making me a far better person and making me so happy with my life.
Here is a transcript of Chat GPTo’ s answers to my questions about applying wisdom from “START with WHY” by Simon Sinek:
Appraisal and Application to Your Role as Digital Inclusion Ambassador
How the Topic Will Improve Performance:
- Clarifying Your Purpose: Understanding and articulating your “Why” will provide a clear sense of purpose for your digital inclusion initiatives. This clarity will inspire others to join and support your mission, making your efforts more effective.
- Building Trust: By consistently aligning your actions with your “Why,” you will build trust with the communities you serve. Trust is essential in gaining long-term commitment and engagement from stakeholders.
- Effective Communication: Starting with “Why” in your communication will make your message more compelling and relatable. This approach will resonate with your audience on an emotional level, leading to greater impact.
- Sustaining Motivation: When you and your team are connected to a meaningful “Why,” it will sustain motivation, even in the face of challenges. This intrinsic motivation will drive continuous improvement and innovation.
Ways to Apply the Learnings:
- Define Your “Why”: Reflect on why you are passionate about digital inclusion and how it aligns with your broader mission. Clearly articulate this “Why” in all your communications and initiatives.
- Align Your Projects: Ensure that all digital inclusion projects and activities are aligned with your “Why.” Regularly review your work to confirm that it remains consistent with your purpose.
- Communicate with Stakeholders: When engaging with the community, partners, or funders, start by explaining the “Why” behind your work. This will help them understand the importance of digital inclusion and inspire them to support your efforts.
- Build a Strong Team Culture: Share your “Why” with your team and encourage them to connect with it personally. This shared sense of purpose will foster a collaborative and motivated work environment.
- Evaluate Success Based on “Why”: Instead of only measuring success by traditional metrics, evaluate how well your projects are fulfilling your “Why.” This will ensure that your efforts remain focused on your ultimate goal.
- Create Consistency in Messaging: Consistently communicate your “Why” across all platforms, whether it’s in presentations, social media, or one-on-one conversations. This will reinforce your message and build a strong, recognizable brand.
- Engage the Broader Community: Use your “Why” to connect with the broader community, particularly those who may not yet be engaged in digital inclusion. Highlight how your work aligns with their values and needs.
- Use the Golden Circle in Training: Incorporate the Golden Circle model into your training and workshops, helping others in your community understand the importance of starting with “Why” in their own initiatives.
- Inspire Other Leaders: Share the principles of “Start with Why” with other leaders in your community. Encourage them to adopt this approach in their work, creating a ripple effect that benefits the wider community.
1. Clarifying Your Personal “Why” (Alistair Fraser):
- Purpose: Reflect on what drives you personally in your life and work. This could be your passion for digital inclusion, your commitment to social entrepreneurship, or your desire to make a positive impact in your community.
- Application:
- Write a personal mission statement that encapsulates your “Why.” This could be a guiding principle for all your actions and decisions.
- Ensure that your personal goals and daily activities are aligned with this “Why.” For example, if your personal “Why” is to empower others through technology, make sure that your actions, whether in your personal life or professional endeavors, reflect this.
- Use your personal “Why” to fuel your motivation, especially during challenging times. Knowing why you do what you do can provide the intrinsic motivation needed to overcome obstacles.
2. Clarifying the “Why” for Crystal Adventures:
- Purpose: Define the core mission of Crystal Adventures as a social entrepreneurship enterprise. This could involve helping communities leverage technology, fostering innovation, or promoting digital literacy.
- Application:
- Align all business decisions and strategies with the “Why” of Crystal Adventures. This includes choosing projects, partnerships, and clients that resonate with your enterprise’s core mission.
- Use your “Why” as a branding tool. Clearly communicate the purpose of Crystal Adventures in your marketing materials, website, and social media. This will attract like-minded clients and partners who share your vision.
- Evaluate the success of Crystal Adventures not just by financial metrics, but by how well you are fulfilling your “Why.” This could involve measuring impact on the community, client satisfaction, and the effectiveness of your initiatives.
3. Clarifying the “Why” as Digital Ambassador Whanganui:
- Purpose: Your role as Digital Ambassador Whanganui should have a distinct “Why” that focuses on promoting digital inclusion in your community. This could be about ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background, have access to digital tools and skills.
- Application:
- Clearly articulate the “Why” behind your role to stakeholders, including community members, local government, and partners. This will help them understand the importance of digital inclusion and why it matters for Whanganui.
- Use your “Why” to guide your projects and initiatives. For example, when planning a new program or event, ask yourself how it aligns with the core purpose of promoting digital inclusion.
- Engage the community by connecting your “Why” with their needs and values. Highlight how digital inclusion can improve their lives, from access to education and services to enhancing social connections.
Integrating All Three Purposes:
- Unified Vision: While each role or aspect of your life has its own “Why,” try to identify common threads that run through all three. This unified vision can help you see how your personal values, your social entrepreneurship, and your role as Digital Ambassador all connect and support one another.
- Consistent Messaging: Ensure that your messaging across all three areas is consistent. Whether you are speaking as Alastair Fraser, representing Crystal Adventures, or acting as Digital Ambassador, your “Why” should be clear and cohesive.
- Balanced Approach: Allocate your time and resources in a way that honors each of these “Why” statements. This might mean setting specific goals for each area and regularly reviewing how well you are fulfilling your “Why” in each context.
By clarifying and aligning these “Why” statements, you can create a more cohesive and purpose-driven approach to your work and life. This will not only enhance your effectiveness but also help you stay true to what matters most to you across all the roles you play.
By integrating the lessons from “Start with Why” into your work, you will be able to lead with purpose, inspire others, and create lasting, meaningful impact in the area of digital inclusion.
WOW this so helpful as a base to plan things from.
What a perfect subject to blog about just 3 days after the first anniversary my first blog published this Crystal Adventures website.
- Plenty more deep thinking happening for me from now on using this framework more consciously.
And whilst I know I need to focus on ‘why’ before anything else, up to now I have been really clear my ‘who’ is the members of people who belong in one of the 8 priority groups for digital inclusion support.
- Although my ‘who’ is unlikely to change, starting with ‘why’ before ‘how’ and ‘who’ makes plenty of sense.
Even though I already do a lot of thinking about my purpose I am sure I will be a better person for using the ‘Start with Why’ framework.
Here’s my ‘why’ from my first blog one year ago on 23 August 2023
- The Purpose of the Crystal Adventures blog
The purpose of this blog is for me, Alistair Fraser, to be authentic and to develop as a person, reaching my potential. My aims are to actualise and express my accumulated wisdom from both successes and failures, tell stories, and use AI proactively, showing others it can be done.
https://crystaladventures.co.nz/welcome-haere-mai-to-crystal-adventures/
My bottom line on purpose in 30 March 2024:
- If the future is going to be digital, it is essential everyone can get aboard and take part!
https://crystaladventures.co.nz/a-sense-of-purpose/
Too vague perhaps ?
Let’s see where I can go using ‘Start with Why’ – here’s to me being able to tell fantastic stories about success for digital inclusion and closing the digital divide in my blog for next year’s anniversary in August 2025!!
This blog post is a collaborative creation by Alistair Fraser, with the innovative assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 and DALL-E 3, highlighting the synergy of human creativity and advanced AI technology.