How did you get in contact with the 40 Challenges Project?
I have long collaborated with some initiatives of the University. I have developed some work for the Social Council and I have some contacts there. When one of the Researchers of this initiative called 40 Challenges contacted me to try a new way to learn to be more entrepreneurial, I wanted to collaborate on the Project. They just told me that I had to download the app and develop the challenges of the competences that would get my attention, as an approximation to the challenges, so now I'm waiting to see if I can finish the challenges that I have began.
What Soft Skills were more attractive for you?
On a personal level I think it is important to know how to work with other people. The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who manage to get other people involved at work and know how to work with others. I think the success of the entrepreneur depends on the way he knows how to listen to others; he/she knows how to work with the people around and knows how to give them the products they need. Therefore, I believe that the skills that an entrepreneur should best manage are those that have to do with observing, listening, communicating, engaging, and creating. When a person knows how to observe the world around him/her and listens to people, their needs and also knows how to involve others in the business goal, I think he/she will have many of the important skills to be a good entrepreneur.From what I have said, I find the challenges of Leadership, Teamwork, and Customer Service very important in the application. I also find Creativity and Initiative skills interesting.
How many Challenges were you able to fulfill?
I have developed all the initial level assessments and the application suggested that I do the challenges of creativity, decision making, self-motivation. I did the Creativity and Initiative and I must do the others, because I like the exercises that are proposed. As a note for people who are going to do the challenges, although they can be done individually, I think they can be more friendly, and you can learn more by doing them among several people.
What concrete results did you get implementing these Challenges?
I think we have to look at reality from different points of view. You have to listen more and this is not just that the entrepreneur talks to more people, but knows how to organize their network of contacts, establish channels and technologies so that they can receive the useful information. From what I could be seeing about leadership and teamwork, I think bosses should set an example and be part of the team like everyone else and not just give orders. I have found that there are techniques for fostering the creativity of individuals and working groups. And, in the challenges about initiative I have realized that it is important to be forward-thinking and try to stay ahead of situations, to be proactive.
Do you think your work as an entrepreneur will improve?
I think everything you learn has some influence on life. For now, it is early to know if doing the 40 challenges I will become a "super entrepreneur" but I do see that the activities proposed in this project are very interesting. In the jobs I have had and in my experiences with other entrepreneurs, I have seen that entrepreneurs are very concerned about budgets, accounting, and sales results. But, if they learned these kinds of skills, maybe they could see their company differently and they could have more tools to make their workers and themselves better at work. And, if the entrepreneur and his/her workers are better at their job, they are sure to find better results.
In my case, I am not an entrepreneur right now, but I have always had entrepreneurial concerns and I have been an entrepreneur. I believe that also many of the exercises proposed in 40 Challenges can be used for people who, even if they work in a company for another entrepreneur, may have concerns or may have entrepreneurial potential. What they call today the "intra-entrepreneurs"
Would you recommend the 40 Challenges Project to others? Why?
Yes, of course. I think the exercises that are proposed are very interesting. I think they can be used for entrepreneurs, managers and anyone who wants to learn entrepreneurial skills.
The fact that the exercises are on the mobile makes it easier to get available.