Design thinking competencies of coaches

Study of coaches needs

This survey is aimed at identifying the needs of social entrepreneurship coaches for upgrading their design thinking competencies. The richer the competencies of social entrepreneurship coaches, the stronger the impact social entrepreneurs have on their target groups. This is especially true for the knowledge, skills, and abilities coaches have in the field of design thinking. Do not worry if you are not exactly social entrepreneurship coach. Your experience as a business and entrepreneurship mentor is as well as valuable for us.

Please, take a few minutes from your time to answer the 15 questions below. Be honest with yourself and be realistic in the evaluation of your own needs!!

Thank you!

Question Title

* 1. What knowledge do you lack to help social entrepreneurs at the empathize stage? Mark only the knowledge that you lack or truly need to upgrade! Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Main market forces in the social sector

Business and social environment

Social anthropology & psychology basics

Entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship

Good practices and social business cases

Add a new piece of knowledge that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 2. What knowledge do you lack to help social entrepreneurs in defining the social problem they want to solve? Mark only the knowledge that you lack or truly need to upgrade! Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Social and business needs analyses techniques

Specific needs of the target groups

Strategic and business management

Problem-solving and decision-making basics

Marketing studies and statistical methods

Add a new piece of knowledge that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 3. What knowledge do you think you lack for being able to encourage entrepreneurs to think outside the box and to generate ideas for the social problem they are trying to solve? Mark only the knowledge that you lack or need to upgrade! Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Techniques for idea generation

Innovation management basics / advanced

Sectorial and business analysis

Various analytical methods and techniques

Functional analyses

Add a new piece of knowledge that is not listed but you really lack!

Question Title

* 4. What knowledge do you lack or need in order to be able to help your mentees to turn their ideas into models that can be tested? Mark only the knowledge that you lack or need to upgrade! Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Business projects achievements and KPIs

Mapping the business & microeconomics

Social Business Canvas

Lean & agile approaches

Mind mapping

Add a new piece of knowledge that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 5. What knowledge do you lack in supporting the mentees to test the prototypes with their target groups? Mark only the answers that you lack or need to upgrade! Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Risk analysis and mitigation planning tools

Total Quality Management (TQM), Balanced Score Cards (BSC) approach, 6 Sigma, etc.

Impact Assessment methodology

Product Life Cycle

Feasibility study and viability assessment

Add a new piece of knowledge that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 6. What specific abilities do you lack in the empathize stage of your work with social entrepreneurs? Mark those that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Ability to ask the right questions

Empathize with the needs of the social entrepreneurs

Effective listening and open mind

Rich general culture and multidisciplinary skills

Tolerance for the mentees' opinions

Add a new ability that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 7. What abilities do you lack in helping social entrepreneurs define the social problem they are trying to solve? Mark only those from the list that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Balanced time management skills

Managing change

Systemic vision

Good verbal communications

Managing diverse projects

Add a new ability that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 8. What abilities do you lack to successfully encourage entrepreneurs to think outside the box and generate ideas? Mark only those from the list that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Ability to visualize

Team moderation and group dynamics

Use of open access resources and databases

Human- and environment-centered approach

Mediate in diverse groups

Add a new piece of knowledge that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 9. What specific skills do you lack for being able to help your mentees in building models that can be tested with the target groups? Mark only those from the list that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Describing sophisticated cases in a simple way

Team and project management

Mapping & matchmaking of alternatives

Problems & business concept presenting

Applying modeling / prototyping methods

Add a new skill that is not listed but you really lack or truly need!

Question Title

* 10. What skills do you lack for being able to support the mentees in testing their models with the target groups? Mark only those from the list that you lack. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Digital intelligence

Gathering and analysing data & information

Testing and gathering feedback / validating experience

Facilitating and moderating the process

Pitching and focus group forming

Add a new skill is not listed but you really lack or truly need to upgrade!

Question Title

* 11. What personal qualities do you lack for being able to peer work with social entrepreneurs in the empathize (initial) phase? Mark only those from the list that you lack. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Sufficient level of emotional intelligence

Gaining trust and confidence in success

Ability to look from a different perspective

Ability to provide solid argumentation for my personal opinion

Leadership skills for the work with social entrepreneurs

Add a new personal quality that is not listed but you really lack or truly need to upgrade!

Question Title

* 12. What personal qualities do you lack in helping social entrepreneurs to define the social problem they want to solve? Mark only those that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Casual analysis predisposition

Strategic way of thinking

Ability to think and design out of the box

Being more an introvert vs extrovert

Social openness and networking

Add a new quality that is not listed but you really lack or need to upskill!

Question Title

* 13. What personal qualities do you lack for being able to encourage the entrepreneurs to think outside the box and to generate ideas? Mark only those from the list that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Predisposition toward multifunctionality

Analytical, critical, and combinative thinking

Possess & stimulate non-standard thinking

Motivate the process of ideation

Observe and get acquainted with the mentees

Add a new quality that is not listed but you really lack or need to upgrade!

Question Title

* 14. What personal qualities do you lack for being able to help your mentees build models that can be tested with real target groups? Mark only those from the list that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Teamwork with mentees

Engineering and design approach

Readiness to change & accept other opinions

Work under pressure

To land softly the entreprenurs’ idea in the reality

Add a new quality that is not listed but you really lack or need to upgrade!

Question Title

* 15. What personal qualities do you lack for being able to support your mentee to present his/her model (prototype) to the target group to test and validate it? Mark only those that you lack or need to upgrade. Add a new one, if it is not listed!

Positive attitude during the testing

Impartiality for the results

Ability to be neutral and objective in the process

Avoiding the necessity of choice / ability to accept stand-alone /single choises without alternatives

Moderate behavior and expectations

Add a new quality that is not listed but you really lack or need to upgrade!

Question Title

* 16. What is your country of residence?

Bulgaria

Greece

Belgium

United Kingdom

Other (please specify)