August 3, 2023
When we say ‘entrepreneurial thinking’ what do you think of?
For most people, it’s having the skills to open up a business. However, entrepreneurial thinking is actually about creative problem-solving. It’s having the ability to turn lemons into lemonade, to turn problems into possibilities. It’s a skill that can easily be developed and should be developed because it encourages people to harness the knowledge, wisdom, resources, and skills they have at their disposal and do something about the challenges they face.
In a world full of problems, it seems to make sense to equip people to be problem solvers. Entrepreneurial thinking is directly linked to problem-solving and in turn—making the world better. Throughout the duration of our lives, we will each become close to a wide array of problems. The closer you are to a problem, the closer you are to a solution. Imagine if we equipped students to not only identify the problems that they will stumble upon but to develop the opportunity that each problem holds. Students would find their purpose as adults, society would improve, and jobs would be created.
Unfortunately, it seems we often neglect entrepreneurial thinking because we feel we have to tell people what to solve. Frequently the problems we see are the only ones we recognize. However, instead of spending so much time telling people what the problems are (and how to fix them), we might be better off equipping others with entrepreneurial thinking. In giving people the tools needed to innovate—and getting out of the way—we can do so much more to support problem-solving and to empower others to do something about the challenges they will ultimately face—ones that we might never know existed.
The first step in developing entrepreneurial thinking is helping students to recognize problems as actionable opportunities. How do we get students to identify problems so they understand when to act?
Provide Inspiration:
It is common for us to see videos on LinkedIn by the World Economic Forum that feature some new invention, initiative, or policy that is reshaping the world. And every day we are delighted by the ingenuity of others. Some of the areas of exploration are novel and yet there are people out there already working on the solutions. For instance, did you know people are working with whiskey distilleries to turn unwanted chemicals into biofuels? Did you know that there was a company turning disposable used chopsticks into sustainable homeware? When students see concrete examples of innovation—of problems people solved—it demonstrates what’s possible when we tap into our creativity.
Help Students Think Differently About Problems:
Ask students what problems are and how they define them. Students might associate problems with exam questions or issues beyond their control. A problem can be any unwanted situation or issue that needs to be overcome. It isn’t just a skill that helps you to do well on assessments, but rather a life skill. Problems show themselves through unusual outlets. For instance, complaints and frustrations are often people’s way of expressing an issue. Confusion over how to do something might signal an efficiency in design or the directions we give. Helping students identify the signs and signals of a problem, can help them determine when to act and employ entrepreneurial thinking.
Honing in on the Problems You Care About:
There are a lot of problems out there, and we can’t fix them all. Help students understand when it might be worthwhile to act on a problem. We suggest asking open-ended questions to identify their areas of interest. A counter-intuitive and productive question is to ask: “What makes you angry?” Too often we ask students to find their passion or name the problems that interest them when sometimes it’s easier for them to learn that the anger (often injustice) they feel around an issue, is their body’s way of telling them this is a problem they care about. This often reveals an area for potential exploration, in which their passion for the issue will help give them the drive needed to act.
Provide perspective:
We also recommend connecting students to the wider world—many learners spend their time within a small geographic boundary and are only familiar with a few vocations (often those of their family and close acquaintances). It can be difficult to challenge their world or views when they’ve never seen an alternative that forces them to question what they know. The combination of self-reflection and exposure to new environments and experiences is a powerful way to promote and empower entrepreneurial thinking.
How beautiful is that? That we don’t need to be aware of every problem, but by having problem-solvers, by utilizing entrepreneurial thinking we can trust that society will move the needle forward. As indicated in extensive research conducted by America Succeeds, the abilities to address these challenges are the “durable skills” that are in demand in today’s modern society. These are the skills that will ensure our students are able to thrive. For every problem out there, there is an opportunity. How are we helping our students harness that power and look for opportunity?
Bio: Michelle is a former social studies educator working to improve how we treat, train, and value our teachers. Michelle is the founder of the Educators’ Lab, which supports teacher-driven solutions to educational challenges. Michelle is also the co-author of the book, The Startup Teacher Playbook and Preventing Polarization.
Links:
Website: www.theeducatorslab.com
Book: https://amzn.to/3tfCfXv
Co-creation tool: www.pblonthego.com
@educatorslab
Bio: Devin is the CEO of Learner-Centered Collaborative and the author of Learner-Centered Leadership. He was recognized as California Superintendent of the Year during his tenure with Vista Unified School District.
Links:
Website: https://learnercenteredleadership.org/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0879FJZQT/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_RVTSFTA5EMNRZXEJSJTQ
