If you are passionate about making a positive difference in the world, you might be interested in pursuing a social impact career. However, you might also wonder how you can maximize your impact and effectiveness in this field. In this article, we will share some tips and strategies that can help you amplify your impact in social impact careers.
One of the first steps to amplify your impact is to identify your strengths and values. What are the skills, talents, and experiences that you can leverage to create change? What are the causes, issues, and communities that you care about most? By aligning your strengths and values with your social impact goals, you can find the best fit for your role and contribution. You can also increase your motivation, satisfaction, and resilience in your work.
Identify your strengths and value and understanding how to align them to the role that you are applying for. People will pay for any kind of value, you just haven't found the person willing to pay for your strengths and value. A good way to align your strengths and values is to sell them from a project management perspective. Any role, job and profession can be described as a form of project management. 1. Identify your strengths and value. 2. Identify the problem that needs to be solved. 3. Filter the relevant strengths and values that align with the problems that needs to be solved. 4. Align your strengths and values to fit in as solutions for the problems that the organisation has.
Another way to amplify your impact is to learn new skills and knowledge that can enhance your performance and effectiveness. Whether it is a technical skill, a soft skill, or a domain-specific knowledge, learning something new can help you solve problems, innovate solutions, and communicate better. You can learn new skills and knowledge through formal education, online courses, workshops, mentoring, or self-study. The key is to be curious, flexible, and open to feedback.
Prioritize continuous learning and skill development. Identify areas where additional expertise can enhance effectiveness, such as data analysis, community engagement, or fundraising. Seek out workshops, courses, and mentorship opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge. Collaborate with diverse stakeholders to leverage collective strengths and insights. Embrace innovation and adaptability, staying informed about emerging trends and best practices. By continually expanding your skill set and fostering collaboration, you can maximize your ability to create positive change in the world.
A third way to amplify your impact is to collaborate and network with other people who share your vision and mission. By working together, you can leverage each other's strengths, resources, and perspectives. You can also learn from each other's experiences, insights, and best practices. Moreover, by networking with other social impact professionals, you can expand your opportunities, connections, and influence. You can collaborate and network through online platforms, events, communities, or projects.
Networking and collaboration helps you scale and amplify the impact of your work. However the collaboration has to be defined with clear roles and responsibilities cut out for the stakeholders impact. Many times, young people want to collaborate with someone or an organisation that is successful without doing the work. In collaborating you will also work. You need to bring some form of value to the table. I was able to successfully implement a $1000 climate education project in a community in Ilorin (Northern Nigeria) without being physically present. This feat was achieved via collaborating with a local NGO based on the community.
A fourth way to amplify your impact is to measure and improve your outcomes and processes. By collecting and analyzing data, you can evaluate your impact and identify areas of improvement. You can also use data to communicate your impact and attract more support and funding. Additionally, by improving your processes, you can increase your efficiency, quality, and sustainability. You can measure and improve your impact by using tools, frameworks, and methods such as logic models, theory of change, or impact evaluation.
In the social impact sector, data and evidence are very important. The ability to define and measure the impact of your work quantitatively and qualitatively is a key determinant of success. This amplifies the importance of monitoring and evaluation, before, during and after the project. The data gotten from the various stages of the project enable you to properly measure impact, celebrate you wins, scale and improve on the project or initiative. Taking it a step further, report writing helps to tie the key metrics of your project together and enables you deliver evidence of a successful project that can be further amplified via storytelling.
A fifth way to amplify your impact is to seek feedback and support from others. By asking for feedback, you can gain valuable insights and suggestions that can help you grow and improve. You can also learn from your mistakes and failures and turn them into opportunities. Furthermore, by seeking support, you can access resources, guidance, and encouragement that can help you overcome challenges and achieve your goals. You can seek feedback and support from mentors, peers, beneficiaries, or experts.
In our world today, everyone wants to be seen and perceived as professionals in their fields. It is good to be a professional but the quest for validation can be destructive. It is okay not to know until it isn't okay. I will always say that ignorance is an excuse until it isn't. In life, learning from the experiences of others or standing on the shoulders of giants and those that have gone ahead of us prevents us from repeating class in life. Normalise learning from the experiences of others to avoid repeating classes.
A sixth way to amplify your impact is to share your story and inspire others. By telling your story, you can showcase your impact and raise awareness about the issues and causes that you care about. You can also inspire others to join you or take action in their own ways. Moreover, by sharing your story, you can reflect on your journey and celebrate your achievements. You can share your story through various channels, such as blogs, podcasts, social media, or presentations.
The difference between those that do the work and those that get the recognition is often visibility. If you do the work and nobody knows about it, the impact and recognition of the job that you have done will be swept under the carpet. I know it is great to have someone else tell your story and amplify the work that you have done. Before that person or media platform finds you, start by telling your own story. You can do this using reels, carousels and even articles. If you don't tell your story, nobody will tell it for you. Between 2021 and 2022 I wrote a 6-part article series of my 4 year journey as an Enactus student. Enactus saw my story and featured one of their articles on their website and social media platforms.