Resourcefulness

 

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."
~ Mary Kay Ash

 

 

Dictionary.com says the word resourceful is an adjective; it means ingenious, capable, and full of initiative, especially in dealing with difficult situations

 

In the context of the work world, it’s easy to be resourceful when:

 

• You have a knowledgeable team working with you who can fill the gaps in expertise
• You have money in the budget to outsource services you are not able to create within your team on your own
• You have talented and close friends who owe you a favour

 

It’s harder to be resourceful when you’re working in a team of one, with little or no budget, and it seems that your talented friends have dumped you for the greener side of life.  Being resourceful in these times requires a person to dig deep within themselves to come up with creative solutions and ideas to actively problem solve.

What would you do in the following example?

While working for company XYZ, you are asked to work on a large piece of equipment that requires you to take it apart, replace broken components and then put it back together.  You are armed with the correct tools and a manual, but the machinery is located on a shelf, where there is no room to do the work?  There is no other person around to help you lift the 50 lb plus machine and move it to another location…  What do you do?

 

You could:

 

• Tell the client you’ll have to come back with help to move the equipment to a more open location which may result in a dissatisfied customer
• You could refuse to do the work as it’s over the weight limit for one person to lift, which could result in a dissatisfied customer and also your employer because of the extra costs associated with a second visit and the extra person required
   

Or:

 

• You can find a way around the problem using whatever means are available to you, but that means being able to identify a viable plan and suitable resolution to the problem

 

In the situation above, was adapted from a real work scenario.  The female worker went to the client and asked them if they had any available carts she could use.  As it turned out, there was an available cart that just happened to be a similar height as the shelf.  She was able to move the equipment by incrementally shifting it back and forth until it was square on the cart.  She didn’t have to lift the unit at all.  This allowed total access for her to fix the unit.  The extra time used was negligible compared to having to make a return visit, and it also saved her employer money by not having to use a second person to lift the unit.

 

 

You can cultivate resourcefulness in your own work by simply spending more time planning and organizing an appropriate solution.

 

Some easy steps you can take to increase your ability to be resourceful are:

 

• Think through the whole process before starting out, this will help you identify where you may need help or an intervention such as the worker used above; for complicated projects, make notes
• Don’t be afraid to ask for the help.  If you are unable to find a workaround, try to find help; the worker above might have solicited help from the client to help her lift the machinery if there was not a cart available.
• Don’t write off ideas too quickly, be exhaustive in your search for a solution
• Build your pier network, and keep in touch at least quarterly or yearly via email, notes or cards.  Make use of social media such as LinkedIn.  If you have a problem and you need some unbiased input, go to your network and ask around, you’ll be surprised at the creativity you solicit from others who may have different talents and abilities

 

In summary, being resourceful isn’t about being good at everything nor is it about your personal contributions to a project’s outcome.  What makes a person resourceful is the ability to maintain a persistent attitude when finding other ways to build a viable solution.  It’s about doing the hard work of planning, doing some research and implementing the resources you’ve found.

And, if all else fails, and planning and research aren’t your strong suits, you can still be resourceful.  How you ask?  By surrounding yourself with other people you consider to be resourceful.  So, no matter what your talents are, cultivating resourcefulness is something we can all achieve.  It just takes resourcefulness.

 

 

Be Well

The Advisor
 

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