Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Enactus Files.

When life gives you lemons, throw them back at life, hard, and demand to see the life manager because you can do way more than making lemonade or squeezing the lemons in people’s eyes. This is what Enactus is about- say no to bandwagon effect, think out of the box and do something different.
     
We all have already established the dynamic platform provided to us and how it actually forms a strong base to bring social change. Being a part of Enactus, here are a few things, in my opinion, every Enactus member should do and leverage upon:

a.       It’s always a good idea to take your brain for a ride.
-          Every situation can be viewed and weighed from various angles and it is always an excellent choice to let your brain sweat and struggle till it reaches the peak of the best possible solution. It’s also time to make sure that same mistakes are not repeated; rather be wise to commit new mistakes and explore the possibilities of making new mistakes. There is always a good outcome with every mistake. Think smart and act smart.

b.      Think beyond the competition.
-          There is no denying the National Competition and World Cup are the best experiences and memories to cherish for eternity. But throughout the year, when you are striving to make your project “Competition Perfect”, take a different route and achieve milestones by making your target audience sustainable and independent. This could be summed up as- Don’t work for an opportunity, give your best shot and opportunity will be served with wine and cheese and all the perks because you deserve it and the universe owes it to you for all the hard work you’ve put in.

c.       Say hello to the entrepreneur in you.
-          We are a part of an organisation where we can create a business with having nothing at stake. It’s the most apt time to test the waters and build your own business out of things we didn’t even consider, sometimes, to be important. Wake up the entrepreneur in you and enhance the skills while still in college. Make yourself ready to face the world and be street-smart.

d.      Convince or get convinced.
-          It is very important to stand up for yourself and voice out your opinions. It might stupid in your head but it all comes to the first point mentioned- it is a different perspective and people ought to know and think about it, too. At the same time, don’t force your opinions on others and be calm while speaking about them. Ideas and opinions can be put forth without being rigid or aggressive about them. Our team follows the policy of “Convince or get convinced”, where we make sure no thought is rejected without the person being satisfied with the reasons. The point is quite self-explanatory, actually.

e.      Build contacts and explore networks.
-          Enactus is one of the only platforms which gives us immense scope to explore our networks. All teams of a particular country should come together and socialise apart from the National Competition. Also, a measured and a perfect use of global network with 1600 universities through Internet or other means should be built upon. I genuinely think we all should genuinely consider this and act upon it. Also, a healthy relationship with the people we meet from the corporate world should be maintained.

f.        Give your inputs but make sure you make the most of the time you invest.
-          This point is kind of the gist of this entire piece. Make sure to observe everything. All of us are at least a part of Enactus for more than two years and if you actually observe and look back, there will be a drastic change in you- in the way you speak, present yourself and the way you think. Always be happy to welcome change and will do wonders for you in long term.

g.       You have a fairy tale to tell.
-          This is the best and my most favourite part. Your project impact is because of your efforts and it becomes your story which you always tell with lot of pride. It is a story with a happy ending and a strong and real life story. Your beneficiary is the real Disney princess or the prince charming.


I am sure you are aware of most of this but not many of us make the most of it. Observe all of this in all meetings and field work. It’s the elaborated pledge every Enactus member should take and should adhere to. Cheers!


-Jimisha Dalal
President, Enactus H.R College.