Method Initiative – Exercise 4: 10 Friends and Family
The goal of Initiative Exercise 4 was to ask 10 family and friends for advice on your chosen project. In a bit of a turn of events, I started to do this, but within a few interviews, I decided that my chosen project from Exercise 3 was not right for me at this time so I’ve actually decided to switch projects and go with the following:
Problem: CEOs of companies with lots of money in the bank feel clueless and lost with how to use it or what to do with it, even if they know they want to use it toward sustainability.
Solution: Start a consulting service to utilize company funds to invest or otherwise use internally to make the company more sustainable.
My next task was now to interview 10 friends and family and get 3 pieces of advice from each, for a total of 30 pieces of advice. As I collected advice, the Initiative book recommends evolving my project problem/solution set as I received advice.
Before Starting
I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but since I had done these steps before, I really felt like the second time around on this exercise was also far easier. Whereas the first time it felt like a chore or a big ask to request 10-15 minutes of a friend’s time for a call, this time most of my calls started with a text like “Are you free for a quick 10-15 min call? Need some advice” and was on the line with them within minutes.
During the Exercise
Making the calls was also far more casual and relaxed than last time around. I didn’t feel bad for using their time or nervous for hoping not to waste too much of it. The calls all went pretty smooth, and I was far better at guiding my interviewees to advice over judgment. My main strategy was often to just read between the lines of something that was more like judgment, ask “So you think I should…?” and rephase their words as advice, and they’d often tell me if I was right on or correct me and give me actionable advice.
The people I talked to were all really helpful, seemed delighted to help, and most said they’d like to hear how the project progresses. Most also said they want to spend some time on a call to catch up on my personal life as well…Which tells me how badly I’m keeping up with a lot of my friends and family now…Need to work on that.
After the Exercise
Having finished this exercise, NOW I’m starting to feel a little nervous as I know what’s coming next: talking to people who feel the problem.
Basically, this is where I find out if my problem statement is worth the digital paper it’s written on. My problem could potentially be a non-issue that no one’s worried about and is not looking for anyone to solve, in which case it’s back to the drawing board.
Not to mention, my problem statement is to speak with CEOs of construction companies, of which I only know a couple, and only one close enough that I feel comfortable asking for advice. Though after receiving the advice I got from this exercise, I am tempted to change my problem statement to lean more towards management, rather than just the CEO at the very top…
The New Problem/Solution Set
Finally, my new problem/solution set (also known as my “project” from here on out) after evolving a bit from my conversations follows:
Problem: Construction company CEOs with financial resources and a desire to use it toward sustainability feel clueless and lost with how to use it in a way that will be worth their investment.
Solution: Offer a consulting service that analyzes and identifies a companies most polluting activities and offers suggestions and advice on how to invest in their own company’s sustainability outcomes. Based on the company’s desired outcomes, these suggestions could come in the form of sustainable investment with potential financial returns, sustainable changes within the company that could potentially cut costs and increase profits margins, or a mix of the two, tailored to the company’s needs.
On to Exercise 5!
For Exercise 5, I’m going to have to start searching for people who actually feel the problem.
