Developing a culture of ressourcefulness
Although Covid-19 has reshuffled the deck, it’s also an opportunity to think differently about how to solve problems and answer questions. Faced with events that we can’t predict, your resourcefulness and ingenuity will be pivotal to unearthing solutions that are creative, inexpensive, and quick to implement. This is also the essence of jugaad,1 as championed by Navi Radjou.
L’innovation frugale: comment faire mieux avec moins by Navi Radjou and Jaideep Prabhu (Diateino, March 2015), “Creative problem-solving in the face of extreme limits,” TED conference by Navi Radjou (TED, October 2014), and “The Google Way of Attacking Problems” by Greg Satell (Harvard Business Review, December 2014).
1/ CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES INGENUITY
When confronting difficult issues, it’s your job to fight against your team’s it’s-not-my-problem syndrome.
- Be clear: your co-workers will be more reluctant to intervene when there’s a problem if they are uncertain about the company’s mission, values, and priorities. Make sure that everybody is absolutely clear about them and understands their own role in the organization.
- Emphasize the idea of responsibility: some employees may imagine that a third party will take the reins if a problem arises, discharging them of all responsibility. But everyone should know that problem-solving is an integral part of their job.
- Fight herd mentality: some people may be afraid that they will be met with disapproval if they intervene, report problems, or suggest improvements. Make sure that dysfunctional behaviors do not become normalized by inviting everyone to express themselves freely.
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