A way to boost creative problem-solving

A way to boost creative problem-solving

Posted on Apr 24, 2014 | Tags: , | No Comments

Sometimes we’re stuck with circumstances outside our control. A vendor doesn’t come through, so we’re stuck with materials that are less-than-ideal. A budget shortfall causes constraints. Your brand’s story or goals have changed, but the old ones remain in public consciousness.

But necessity can spark creativity if you examine what’s frustrating or hard about the team’s work, and try to find something to use as a point of inspiration.

We can take an example from the Netflix series House of Cards, whose devious main characters often create winning strategies out of nothing: A strike by union employees turns Claire’s Clean Water Initiative gala out of its elegant hotel setting. Claire turns the “bug” into a “asset” by holding the black-tie event on the grounds outside and bringing in ribs from Freddy’s BBQ. The festive downhome vibe is unexpected, and the party’s a hit.

Or as Picasso, whose innovations forever shifted our ideas of art, once said, “If I don’t have red, I use blue.”

Try taking what you’re “stuck” with, and turning it into a silver lining. All of sudden, the work becomes fun again.

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