Scale-up
We all face problems and challenges every day. Some more than others, but we are usually able to solve some of the problems at some point in time. If you can solve your problem, then what next? Does that solution have any other value? Does it have any other relevance?
There is something we may not often think about which is quite important; it is the fact that “if this has happened to me, it may be happening to someone else too; it must have or probably will soon happen to many others.”
There is a relationship between the things that happen to you and your relevance to others. Have you solved any problem? If you have, that solution can solve many other problems.
A Roman statesman, philosopher and lawyer, Marcus Tullius Cicero, once said; “You will be as much value to others as you have been to yourself.” In other words, you cannot be relevant to the situation of others if you have not been relevant in solving your problems. Your ability to help is a function of the ability you have built by helping yourself. If you have been relevant in little, you have the ability and potential to be relevant in many more similar relevant situations at a larger scale.
The Collins dictionary defines Scale-up in chemical engineering, which is quite insightful; “A Scale-up is when you predict what will happen in a process because of things you have noticed in a similar but smaller process.”
That is quite interesting and applicable. It is, therefore, possible to predict what will happen in the future based on similar experiences of the past. Your present can become their future because your past is their present.
Your past experiences, in smaller processes or situations grants you the opportunity of relevance in future similar and larger situations. If you have been relevant in solving your problems, small problems at work, and community; it grants you the opportunity to be able to help with similar problems in a larger scale or affecting more people.
If you have been instrumental in providing solutions to problems in the past, that has prepared for an opportunity in the future. You can Scale-up, and you will be relevant to more or at a larger scale, thus expanding your relevance.
The mother of a teenager once called me to speak to her teenage son that was having challenges relating to his older siblings. I spoke to the boy for about an hour from my experiences and how I was able to make the most and flourish in a similar situation in the past. I was able to relate to his situation and challenges because I was once in a similar situation which his Mother recognised. My experience made me relevant to that situation and the young boy was able to understand how to proceed because of the similarity of the experience and the predicted future he can see in someone that has been there before.
Can you think of the numerous experiences you have had in the past? Have you ever made success out of any challenging situation? Have you solved some problems before? Have you been able to thrive in crisis? Have you overcome any challenge or problem? If your answer is yes, that means you have the opportunity to scale-up, you have the opportunity to be relevant in much more and to many more people.
I provided a solution at a very challenging time for one government organisation I once worked for in the UK. The solution made it possible to complete a significant project with limited resources and infrastructure within a very short time. It was for less than 500 people, but I was able to scale-up by applying the same experience to a similar situation in a different organisation affecting over 5,000 people.
We all have experiences that make us relevant to many others. You may have failed or passed an exam; someone has just had that experience and is seeking answers. You probably got a job after numerous attempts of rejection; many are still facing rejection and wondering why. You may have survived the loss of a loved one; that is crisis some do not know how to recover from. You were able to get back on your feet after a crisis; some people think it is their end. You started a new business in a challenging environment; a few may desire to do the same but they do not even know how to start. You have experienced success in business or started a new business with limited resources; someone wants to know how to get resources.
You successfully became debt-free. You saved your organisation money by detecting fraud. You were able to hire reliable personnel for your project and business. Found a solution to a problem at work. Whatever your experience, many others could benefit from what has uniquely happened to you and they represent an opportunity for you to scale-up and become relevant to many more.
You may have observed how so many solutions to problems during the current pandemic was tested in a small environment or among few people and when successful they are scaled-up to provide the solution to many more people.
Roche, the world’s largest biotech company developed a new serology test to detect COVID-19 antibodies and upon successful testing in a small environment, it attracted so much demand around the world; they now started a mass production of the same. The same solution but scaled-up to solve many more similar problems. If it can help one, it can help many others.
There are so many efforts to help with testing and contact tracing of those affected by the coronavirus, including so many apps being tested in small environments and the successful ones are scaled-up to provide solutions for many more.
Do not neglect your experiences, the solution that helped you in the past may be the help someone needs now and many more in the future. You have the opportunity to scale-up and become relevant to many more.
It may be helpful to think of what you have done and how it can help solve some of the problems you can see around you today. People need you but you can only become relevant to them when you can provide solutions to the problems they are experiencing especially out of the similar experience of yours.
To be continued next week, don’t miss it.
Please feel free to share this post if you found it useful, and remember to get in touch as I would appreciate your comments and would like to hear from you.
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Related posts on Relevance
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 1
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 2
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 3
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 4
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 5
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis –Part 6
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 7
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 8
- Finding Relevance in the midst of Crisis -Part 10
