If you could design a path for yourself in 2020, what would that look like? Over the next 365 days, what would you like to be able to say you've experienced or accomplished? This past month, I gave a talk on Bravery (contact me to learn more about my Bravery Workbook!), where I dispelled the myth that the value of bravery lies in bold, visible actions that are tied to big results. I challenged the misconception that bravery is innate. Similarly, great businesses, ideas, solutions, careers and lives aren't typically just "born." They are developed, after several iterations, failures and re-calibrations. The beauty and the power lie in the design process, but this isn't often the story we are told. That is why I know we have to kick off 2020 by changing the narrative, giving readers OutGrowth's newest tools to make this year count. This month, I gift you the official OutGrowth Design Thinking Toolkit (link in the En Root Scoop)- a quick guide on our approach to a process that we believe has the power to change how you tackle any new challenge, personally or professionally. Design Thinking is a huge part of what we do. It is a method that dictates OutGrowth's work with current clients and the evolution of the company itself. As you can see, OutGrowth has gone through a recent redesign also, broadening its offerings to include not just soup-to-nuts immersive community experiences, but a three-tiered service model where we also offer program facilitation and program design, specifically in Design Thinking. Now, you don't have to go outside to think outside, as we bring growth opportunities to your doorstep. As always, we believe that immersion can take many forms, and that these are the experiences that create exceptional (and sustainable) leaders, teams and communities. We are here for all of your growth needs. I am so excited to showcase two incredible visionaries in this month's issue, who will undoubtedly inspire you to re-imagine your approach to Human Centered Design, and fully understand the power it holds for individuals and communities. Happy New Year, and happy reading! Grow out with us. |
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This Month at OutGrowth Our Exciting Start to 2020 The En Root Scoop Designing a Better Tomorrow Our Top Toolkit, Ted Talk, and Book |
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Humans are not rational creatures. We know this, yet we still expect them to behave rationally, and trust them when they tell us they will. For example, some of us in the humanitarian sector have thought, 'This community needs water. Let’s drill a hole in the ground, and provide a well. Let necessity be the impetus, and trust that the humans in need will behave.' This is all logical, and in some cases, could work. But we’d quickly find issues: What happens when the well becomes contaminated? When an industrious individual decides he will charge community members for access to the well? That the pump itself needs maintenance to run, but no one in the community has been trained to work on the system? These are all real-world challenges that have benefited from Design Thinking, and Human-Centered Design in particular. It’s hard to ignore all the talk around Human Centered Design (HCD) and Design Thinking. It’s harder still to determine the difference between the two of them. From my perspective, Design Thinking focuses on designing something completely from scratch. Human Centered Design (HCD) works to make something that already exists even better for human users. To say it another way, HCD puts the human perspective at the center of every step of the process (whatever that process may be). In the example of water access above, Design Thinking was needed to imagine an entirely new process with an innovative solution for providing access to clean and safe drinking water for remote communities. Eventually, after research and HCD workshops, an ATM for water (or a prepaid water system that self-manages accounts, revenue collection and water data) was chosen as the solution. |
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Because the individuals building this solution also wanted to make sure they were designing for the human experience, they chose to hear from and empathize with humans at every step of the process. They cared about the people working in the health department. About the people drilling boreholes for water. About the enterprising young people who had been previously paid to travel great distances for water. About the people who govern how water is treated. And of course, about the people drinking the water. And in the end, they ended up with a system that worked harmoniously, for everyone. It is an incredible privilege to be put in a position to design products and systems that will be experienced for generations to come. It also comes with great responsibility. I urge anyone asked to design literally anything to use some of the best tools in the toolbox: Design Thinking and HCD. These methods ensure we are using our privilege to build systems and solutions with needs in mind, and with empathy and humanity at their core. Meg Kemp is the founder of Alma Major, a company dedicated to using human-centered design methods to help organizations and communities co-create projects that improve lives, and a passionate advocate for social equity. Meg is a Baltimore transplant and graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
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“Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered -- either by themselves or by others.” -- Mark Twain This quote resonates with me deeply, though it should be billions* and not thousands. That’s because I fundamentally believe that every single person is a genius, by virtue of being a human being. We are a species inherently capable of phenomenal things that creatures over 99% genetically similar to us are not. We have the capacity to empathize with one another, to imagine things and a world that does not exist, and to collaborate with each other to create, innovate, and push our world forward. Our planet’s human potential is our biggest untapped resource; unfortunately, people have created systems and structures that have led to deep inequities. However, if we spread access and opportunity, and catalyze the latent potential of all people, we can build a better world, together. Dent’s mission is to promote equity by empowering under-resourced youth to discover and develop their innate creative potential to shape the world around them. We work with Baltimore City high schoolers who develop as creative problem solvers and makers, and then work in teams to launch real ventures. However, all of this is a means to an end -- our goal is for our students to develop the Dent Mindsets as default modes of operating. In doing so, we believe students will not only be able to create more success for themselves both academically and professionally, but can create the world they want to live in, and lead a life of agency. Here are the Dent Mindsets (also see link below), what they mean, and why we believe that developing these is critical to un-tapping human potential. We see problems as opportunities: Denters see problems as opportunities to make a difference. Many people don’t even notice the problems around them, or if they do, feel futility or point fingers. Denters envision solutions, use constraints to breed creativity, and are confident that we can create change. We ask “why?”: Denters are curious and unwilling to accept a status quo. We ask questions to connect with others, understand root causes, identify needs, and spark innovative solutions. We do not accept the world as it is, but instead realize that everything around is merely the product of other imperfect humans’ decisions, and we are confident we can re-imagine and improve anything, from a chair to the education system. Asking why leads us to do things out of the ordinary. |
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We listen deeply: Denters are empathetic and humble. We listen deeply to others’ perspectives to learn. This makes us better problem-solvers, stronger in our relationships, and more respected leaders in our communities. We take action: Denters believe in prototyping our ideas and bringing them to life as quickly as possible. We make grand visions a reality by taking the first small steps, right away. Too often, we celebrate ideas and intelligence, but don’t build a habit of initiative or a bias towards action. Denters don’t just talk, we do. We fail fast and keep learning: Denters are always testing prototypes and aren’t afraid to try something new. We embody a growth mindset, believe that failure = learning, and take feedback as a gift. We act, reflect, and try again. The last (hidden) mindset is found in the first word of the other five: The power of “we.” Denters are confident in our own abilities, but we also understand that together, we can do so much more. We collaborate, learn from each other, and lift as we climb. While we have put words to these Mindsets, we do not claim to “own” them in any way. Most of our students have already been embodying these in their lives everyday; we just have explicitly named them and designed experiences for us to build these muscles. Here’s to all of us developing the Denter within us and realizing our individual and collective potential as humans. Rajan Patel is an avid maker who believes we can build a better world. He co-invented the Embrace incubator, a product of empathy-driven design that has impacted and saved the lives of over 300,000 babies across the developing world. Today, Rajan is passionate about empowering the makers and problem solvers of tomorrow. He trained at Stanford's d.school to become a teacher of design thinking and has organized and led programs of his own across ten countries. Rajan holds a BS in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford, an MBA from Stanford, and an MPA from Harvard. |
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| | OutGrowth Blog Stacy Fritz Disrupting the Sitting Cycle, One Company at a Time 'FIT2order specializes in Sedentary Solutions for companies whose employees sit for the majority of the day. We believe that taking care of your health needs to happen AT work- where we spend the majority of our time. It isn't enough to "workout" before or after the workday to reduce the effects of occupational sitting.' | | |
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| | Follow OutGrowth Week of January 6 | Design Thinking Facilitation in Partnership with Greatest Possible Good and the McDonogh School January 7 | Mentoring for the Women Empowering Women Trip to Puerto Rico in Collaboration with the Carey Business School + Friends of Puerto Rico January 14-15 | Executive Education Course in Designing Personal Change January 24 | Carey Business School Career Advisory Committee Meeting | | |
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'Getting outside of our traditional ways of doing and thinking can be incredibly challenging, but hugely valuable when it comes to solving problems or charting out the path ahead. That's where OutGrowth comes in. To give you a taste of how we operate, I, Anna, am gifting you this toolkit. In it, I take you through the very process which enables us to get to the heart of our client's needs while empowering them to build forward.' | | |
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'Designer Emily Pilloton moved to rural Bertie County, in North Carolina, to engage in a bold experiment of design-led community transformation. She's teaching a design-build class called Studio H that engages high schoolers' minds and bodies while bringing smart design and new opportunities to the poorest county in the state.' | | |
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'Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems.' | | |
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