Reflective Learning
Any goal can be achieved once you put in dedication, preparation and teamwork. Achieving goals takes more than good intentions. It is a smart move to take action and systematically measure the progress (Hyatt, 2016). In any project or department, goals need to be set. Prior to getting the job done, planning or preparation makes a world of difference in achieving these goals. Keeping the goal/s SMART and following the SMART system is important in the goal setting process. This brings structure into the goals. SMART goal setting allows your goals to be verified, it creates clear milestones and an estimation of the attainability. This also allows objectives of your goals to be evaluated ("S.M.A.R.T. goal setting", 2016).
Teamwork is also very crucial for in successfully achieving the goals of the project. Nothing is more powerful than a group of people working together for one common goal. No team is perfect. It is a mix of people with diverse life experiences and viewpoints, knowledge and opinions. The differences of each members should be taken advantage in order for team to create innovative ideas. What matters is the teamwork that is the cornerstone for creating functioning, contributing teams. The team should understand the goals and should be committed to the attainment of the goals. The mission and purpose of the team should be stated in clarity. It is important that clear expectations for the work, goal, accountability and outcome of the team are implemented. Working in a team entails people skills and communication skills. A comfortable environment that fosters contribution of ideas and trusting each other is also important (Heathfield, 2016). The team members should be allowed to take reasonable risks and should not be judged for disagreeing with ideas. Respectful, open and honest communication can contribute to a working environment that is highly productive. The strong sense of belonging in a team of all the members of the group enhances team working dynamics. To be a part of the team, the members should experience a deep commitment to the group’s decision and actions. The team should also be able to examine itself and learn to improve through the mistakes they have made during the process. The members should be able to discuss openly the factors that are hindering the team to move forward and progress in the areas of effort and strategy.
The social enterprise project that our team created is selling stationeries in our university. The profits will automatically go to the Kids Cancer Charity shop in Swansea, UK. Our group of four members came up with this idea of selling stationeries because these goods are useful and very sellable among the students in our university. Also, the thought of buying great gifts and products to support the charity and change the lives of the kids appeal to consumers. Firstly, we wanted to think of something that required lesser funds to start up. We also wanted it to be easy. But no business project comes easy and risks have to be taken.
Fortunately, the local Chinese restaurant where I and one member voluntarily worked in kindly sponsored us 100 pounds. We used this money to purchase stationeries to be sold in our university. Our social enterprise generated 597 pounds. All of the money that we earned from selling we donated to the Kids Cancer Charity shop.
The whole process of brainstorming, budgeting and planning was not an easy feat. Our different skills, experiences and personalities worked well together. Although of course no team is perfect. We all had our difference and misunderstandings. At the beginning of the project, for example an idea would be presented and when the team would disagree, the member who suggested the idea would feel bad. But as we went through our journey together, we learned to accept rejection and constructive criticisms. As a group, we strived to solve problems together. As much as possible we do not allow only one person to be the problem solver. Collaborative problem solving is a strategy that we practiced all throughout our project. With regards to working styles, all of us had different ways of dealing with work. The positive thing is that we did not force each other to apply a specific “ideal” working style because we believed that each individual possess their own style in which one can maximize their efforts and work accordingly.
In the process of delivering the project, division of work was discussed. Each of one of us was assigned with either one of the following: budgeting, marketing, collaborating with the charity, buying the goods, and selling. We made sure that each one of has had a fair share of work to do. Of course things do not run smoothly all the time, as expected. There were times of trials that challenged our teamwork. Everyone tried our hardest to deal with the personalities of our members. Sometimes, selfishness gets the best of us and we forget to be “part” of the team. The challenge that we encountered was how we could convince people to buy stationeries from us and how we could raise enough money to donate to the charity we chose. We needed to create goals and corresponding objectives to achieve our goals. Looking back, if I had the chance to do things differently, I would. One thing that I would change is the planning stage. The planning process was quite disorganized and it took us later in the process to learn from our mistakes. I believe we could have done better in order for things to run more smoothly.
Social enterprises’ role in society is seen as a way for private sectors in supplying public services, while others consider their business a vehicle for social change (Seager, 2014). Social entrepreneurs fall under the “social innovation” school of thought wherein these entrepreneurs are more concerned of the social impact and outcome of their enterprise rather than their income. Philanthropy and giving has been boosted by the contribution of large gifts by wealthy individual donors who are typically entrepreneurs. Social enterprises involve active investment of economic, social, and human capital for social change (Shaw, 2011). Multiple stakeholders have supported, encouraged and engaged with philanthropy including entrepreneurial philanthropy. The government are now showing increased interests in innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to address society’s problems. Non-profit organizations are also seeking ways to diversify their income.
The roles of a social enterprise were grouped into the ‘three Ms’ by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association. The first M which is Market means that the social enterprise aims to fill the gap that the commercial market is unlikely to fill on its own. An example of this is employment for poor communities. The second M is Mission. This aims to accomplish the mission of the organization through innovative ways. To meet a social or environmental need, a commercial approach like a fundraising may be the best way. For example, an enterprise could hire workers who have a disability to create their products. The experiences give the staff an opportunity to develop workplace skills (Rye, 2012). The third M is money. The aim in this third category is to raise money or diversify income. By adopting a business model the organization is able to increase their income to the point of self-sufficiency. Having their own funds also allows the organization to spend money in trying out new services. It also allows them to invest in order for the scope of business and social service to grow (Rye, 2012). According to the Adelaide Central Mission, a social enterprise involves creativity, entrepreneurship and a focus on community.
Entrepreneurs must make use of creativity that would benefit the social, financial, service, educational and employment aspects of the community (The Benefits and Challenges of Running a Social Enterprise, 2013). For the stakeholders, specifically to the entrepreneurs, it is easier to raise capital. Marketing and promotion for organizations is made quite easier. It is easy to attract the attention of the public when the organization offers a solution to a social problem that is unique ("Advantages of Social Enterprises", 2016). For example, the shoe company TOMS advocates for helping the people in need. For one item that is purchased, one person is also helped. The company helps proved shoes, water and support to communities in need. Aside from the ease of marketing and promotion, it is also easier to gain support from likeminded individuals. The social side of the enterprise encourages people to support the enterprise because it is for a good cause. Donors from a business background may view this as a positive and pragmatic approach to achieve social missions. Developing sustainability makes donors more likely to support an organization because they know that their money could go further. Another advantage to a social enterprise is that it is relatively easier to hire people at lower salaries compared to other industries because they are attracted to the social side of the enterprise.
There are also advantages specific to the environment, society and the people concerned. Services are customized better to fit the needs of the individual or the problem. Another advantage is that is cost effective. A profit making organization offers products and services in a higher cost compared to social enterprises which offer similar products and services ("Advantages of Social Enterprises", 2016). A social enterprise also provides an opportunity for local people to gain employment. It provides facilities to disadvantaged people, helps the environment and society which results to a positive change to people and communities.
The disadvantages of a social enterprise deal more on the business aspect rather than the social aspect. As a business, it has to compete with the commercial market and deal with risks and challenges common to all business enterprises. The risk of not succeeding is always present. Financial failure or social failure can occur. The first one occurs when it is not able to generate enough revenue to stay afloat and it is forced to close. The latter means the enterprise failed to build a revenue to fund a social program or failed to design a social program that achieves the social goals or missions of the enterprise (Rykaszewski, Ma, & Shen, 2013). Another drawback is having the necessary resources and skills to move towards becoming a social enterprise. You are going to need likeminded people to support your enterprise and your mission. A social enterprise will also need to introduce certain controls and restrictions under the constitution.
This social enterprise project has given me numerous opportunities to learn regarding goal setting and working in a team. Firstly, regarding my working style, I have realized that I enjoy working in a team. Team dynamics really work well with me. I enjoy listening to the ideas of my team members and the feeling that I couldn’t have done it on my own without them. I have come to realize that in working with a team successfully, numerous factors have to be taken into consideration. First of all, I realized that possessing the sense of being part of a team is very important. It gives me a sense of importance and fuels me to work more not only for myself but for the benefit of the whole team. Respectful, honest and open communication can never be disregarded. This project involves working with people thus communication through active listening and respectful exchange of ideas is important. It is a given that people in the team come from different backgrounds and possess diverse opinions and knowledge. When these differences are used constructively, it can benefit the team. When starting a project with a new team, establishing rapport is very important. Goal setting cannot be undermined. Creating goals into SMART goals will enhance the attainability and will allow the goals to be measured thus giving insight whether or not the goals have been achieved. Every single member should understand the goals of the project. The planning process should be done properly and taken seriously as much as the delivery of the project. Being able to talk about the things that hinder the progress is also important. Through open discussion, solutions to problems can be generated. The team as a whole should learn to examine itself and improve by learning from mistakes. As cliché as it sounds, experience is the best teacher. Lastly, a team member must be dedicated in achieving the mission of the team. One team, one goal is the name of the game. Just like in social enterprises, commitment and dedication must be present in order to achieve the social mission for the benefit of the environment, people and the society at large.
Reference
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