Design Thinker in Action since 2012

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Mi Yo Virtual (Españoles Por El Mundo... De Las Ideas II)

Posted on: 18 nov 2012




Mi Yo Virtual ha tardado algunos años en decidirse a salir ahí fuera. En primer lugar porque yo no estaba segura acerca de la conveniencia de hacerlo (exceso de exposición, falta de privacidad, bla, bla, bla). Después porque estaba tratando de encontrar una estrategia que se ajustara a mi modo de pensar ... Cuando me quedé sin argumentos, tuve que reconocer la realidad: sencillamente me daba miedo dejar por escrito -con luz y taquígrafos- al alcance de todo el mundo -literalmente- qué me gusta, qué me mueve, cómo y qué pienso.


¿Por qué no hacerlo? ¿Mi Yo Virtual va a ser diferente a lo que soy en mi vida real?, ¿Acaso va a tener vida propia y va a decidir qué cuenta de mi sin consultarme?, ¿Va a opinar de forma diferente a cómo pienso yo?, ¿Va a ser alguien que no soy yo?

Me tranquilizó pensar en estas preguntas tan simples, porque claramente la respuesta es NO. 

Luego, ¿cuál es el autentico freno para no desarrollar El Yo Virtual? (si uno quiere hacerlo)

Mi Yo Virtual es una declaración pública de lo que soy, aceptando claramente que no deseo el anonimato y que he aceptado completamente mis peculidaridades, mi ideas y mis teorías propias. 

Mi Yo Virtual es un compromiso público conmigo misma y mis intenciones. Es un acto de valentía de alguna manera. Es también un alivio.


Mi Yo Virtual me complementa y me impulsa a profundizar un poco más cada día en el conocimiento que me interesa. 
Mi Yo Virtual está moviéndose por el mundo de las ideas en mi nombre, con los límites que elige, recogiendo lo que le gusta, opinando cuando quiere, conectando con las personas que la inspiran  y teniendo la oportunidad de estar en contacto con profesionales de gran talento.

Mi Yo Virtual le gusta expresarse a veces en español (lengua materna) y a veces en inglés (no soy nativa): me ayuda a ampliar la conexión practicamente con todo el mundo. (Por cierto, me gustaría dar las gracias a mis seguidores de habla inglesa por su paciencia y generosidad).


Mi Yo Virtual me ha enseñado que, 

dirigiéndome a mis interlocutores (el resto del mundo) con autenticidad, respeto y empatía, recibo exactamente lo mismo que doy.

Estoy reconociendo en mi que necesito comunicarme (antes yo veía esto como una debilidad) y mi necesidad de intercambio no es particular, es universal.

Y por último compruebo en mi misma y en los demás la tolerancia ante lo distinto y que la necesidad de entender crea vínculos invisibles con personas desconocidas difíciles de describir. Creo que me hace más humana.

En definitiva: Mi Yo Virtual me ha enriquecido personalmente de tantas formas distintas, que todavía lo estoy procesando...


Os lo recomiendo.


My Virtual Me Manifesto (Acknowledging The Act Of Communicating )

Posted on: 17 nov 2012



MY VIRTUAL ME has taken her time to decide to get out there. Firstly because I wasn't sure about the idea of doing so (over exposure, lack of privacy, blah blah blah). Then because I was trying to find out a strategy that would fit my mindset ... And when I ran out of arguments, I had to acknowledge the reality: I was afraid to show-share what I like, what moves me, how and what I think. 


So here I am. Why not?



MY VIRTUAL ME is a public statement of who I am. It's me saying: I don’t desire anonymity AND I have fully embraced my inner nerd AND this is it.  

My Virtual Me is a public compromise with myself and my intentions. It's an act of courage in some way. It's a relief because I finally accept what a design thinking nerd I am. 

My Virtual Me complements me, and drives me to deepen a little more every day into the knowledge that feeds me and makes me happy. My Virtual Me is me out there, with the boundaries she chooses, picking what she likes, saying what she feels like saying, connecting with people that inspire her, and having the opportunity to engage into conversations when she feels like doing so. 

My Virtual Me is me in a flow. Me sharing. Me engaging. Me learning. Me understanding. My multiplied ME.
My Virtual Me likes to express herself sometimes in Spanish (native language) and sometimes in English (not native as you noticed) because she feels more connected to others in doing so. (By the way, I'd like to thank to my English speaking followers for their patience and generosity).



My Virtual Me has taught me that, 


by entrusting those who I talk to with the same level of respect, authenticity and empathy, I get exactly what I give in return.

I 'm acknowledging the act of communicating and I recognize in me the need to do so (I'm an introvert)...in other words: I need other people as much as they may need me .

And also, I'm aware that the need to understand is universal and creates invisible bonds with others that are difficult to define nor describe. And... makes me feel a little more human??


My Virtual Me has enriched me in so many ways...

This is a great epifany in my life that I am still processing...






My inspirations to write this post:


What are you doing when you feel more beautiful? by Jacqueline Novogratz
Grupo: NextDesign Leadership Network
"A Brief pause" by Ethan Kaplan
Mindfulness and Stammering


Delivering Unsolicited Meaning: First They Ignore You...And Then You Win

Posted on: 4 nov 2012

First they ignore you...by Mahatma Gandhi

What does usually happen when a design thinker delivers unsolicited meaning to an audience that is not prepared to understand nor listen to anything out of their system of knowledge?


First they ignore you, 


You'd probably find silence when sharing new ways of thinking about a situation and giving existing things new meaning.
Let's face it: Most of the innovations happen because mad designers and innovators are so stubborn! 

As a Design Thinking practitioner, I believe it's necessary to master a kind of passionate excitement about the "finding" of the idea or meaning, and the "fighting" for make it happen. It's a kind of "design thinking CORE" that, together with some others, make you say with security: 
“This is going to work”.This is the way to go. I know it.

Designers don't take a NO for an answer: It might seems at first they do, but it's just another designer's trick. It's a step back to reconsider a new strategy to try again, and again to make an idea HAPPEN. 


...Then they laugh at you, 


Too many professional still don´t know how to adapt to an ever-evolving business environment.


I understand that challenging the COMMON conceptual structure used in constructing theories is hard for both parts:

  • As the "challenger", you better be ready to a "your analysis has no rigor", and a few pity faces feeling sorry for you.
  • As the "challenged", please consider that rationality is necessary when analyzing any situation, but it's a part of the process of understanding, especially when trying to innovate and find meaning in a fuzzy problem.
This is why Design Thinkers are undergirded with hard-core analytical and a broader data gathering, that includes observation and sense making of society in general, people, technology, emotions and developing of insights. 
  
Most senior managers and CEOs would trust in strategic concepts and logical deductions based on their "logical data gathering": They use tools such as benchmarking, analytical data, etc., to arrive to solid conclusions. Executives construct theories using their rationality and their conceptual structure and culture. They come to conclusions that make a lot of sense for them because the sense they find is soooo similar of what they found last year, and the year before... only reinforces current knowledge and produces small improvements to the status quo. 


...Then they fight you, 


A Design Thinking approach challenges the 100% rational methods...and that is... scary?
For some analytical thinking professionals I guess it is. But it won't go away: It's a fact that there are experts (innovator, design thinkers, scientists) who are able to identify industry trends and important big ideas way ahead of the rest of the professionals and, even more important, designers know how to network with other "interpreters" – customers, suppliers, intermediaries, designers, artists - who understand and shape the markets they work in.

A new approach means redesign the business as they know it. I guess that is scary too.



...Then you win. 


The “This is going to work” is a fact...two years later, the average time leaders need to understand unsolicited meaning delivered by one of those mad designers two years before...the problem is that, sometimes, it's too late.


And just for the record: 
  1. Labelling people doesn't work anymore
  2. Better listen the “This is never going to work” 
  3. Some leaders just never get it....
  4. Any business can commit to successful design thinking







My inspirations to write this post:

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