When DE's Hit a Wall

It’s not unusual for a Development Entrepreneur to hit a wall.  There are times when reforms are just not happening and interventions are, for one reason or another, not working. When this happens, there are several things a DE can do.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, you can try to break down your work into more manageable parts. Focus on one part at a time and do each part better. Little improvements in the way you accomplish each work segment can have a synergistic effect on the whole effort, help you achieve a breakthrough.

You can also explore other modes of intervention. It has been said that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting other results. So stop doing what you’re doing, and try something else. In practical terms this means adopting a new behavior, which might require different capabilities. The new thing might also have to be done in a different time, place or context. In other words, it might challenge you to go out of your comfort zone. Have fun - but make sure whatever it is you want to try is still consistent with your role, your values and beliefs, and your overarching purpose.

Another strategy is to find somebody else who has been having more success and learn from him. Modeling is the oldest way of replicating success. You can even possibly improve on somebody else’s successful model, or adopt it to your particular circumstances.

A more drastic alternative is to re-think your whole effort by formulating a Wholly Formed Objective. This requires you to describe the desired outcome in sensory terms and define the expected impact of your efforts. You will also have to clarify the context and ecology of your work - the circumstances surrounding your work, who you have to work with, the place and time to do it. You will need to discern what’s preventing you from achieving your outcomes already, what resources you already have and what resources you will still need. This leads you to resolving what actions you can immediately take (which might be totally different from what you have been doing all along).

As you try any or all of these strategies to get unstuck, you need to remember three things.

First, it’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t go as expected. The problem is that when you're discouraged it's difficult to find creative solutions. Better to be in a positive state of mind, where it's easier to think of new and better ideas. There are techniques (some friends call them “Jedi mind tricks”) to deliberately move into a positive state of mind. The thing to remember is that you are in charge of your mind and accountable for your own outcomes.

Second, resourcefulness is more important than resources. At some point you will realize that you don't have all the resources you need to try out other ideas. Resourcefulness will help you find alternative methods to test those ideas.

Finally, be aware that any new things that you will introduce into your advocacy happens in the context of relationships, time, and place. Consider possible impacts on these and other aspects of your ecology, make sure you secure those relationships or factors that are important to you.