As creatives, we spend a lot of time solving problems for other people, but what happens when we have internal problems of our own to address ⁉️⁉️

Effectively solving issues in the workplace can save your team a lot of time (and 💸 money!), and knowing how to approach them has a positive impact on your overall workflow 🕊.

We can't just wish our problems away, we need to tackle ⚽️them head on and avoid wasting time by shifting the blame on to others…

1. A Problem Well Stated is Half Solved 🤓🤓🤓

Foremost, the sooner you get everyone who needs to be involved up to speed the better 👍🏿.

Do not let the issue simmer as there’s a chance there will be less and less that can be done as time passes 😳.

It's important to note that there might be variations of defining what the issue is in the workplace. Objectively, find the pain point that needs to be addressed to get everyone on the same page 📄 .

Tips:

• Be straight to the point,
• State the issue in under 2 sentences,
• Remain objective with the details.

1. Determine the Complexity of the Issue 🧐🧐🧐

This will help you figure out how much time ⏰needs to be dedicated to solving it, the best approach, and the most capable person/people to action the appropriate tasks 🗂.

The complexity of an issue increases with the number of individuals involved, the number of expert disciplines needed and how substantial the financial scale to resolve said issue would be.

1. Consider the Interests of All Affected Parties 👨🏾‍💼👩🏽‍💼🧑🏿‍💼

When assessing the solution for the problem at hand, think about how it will affect all the relevant stakeholders in the situation.

Protect everyone’s interests as well as you can, but when that is not possible ensure you prioritise the interests of those that have the highest stake in it all 🫵🏿.

1. Be Creative with Your Solutions 🧑🏾‍🎨👩🏿‍🎨👨🏿‍🎨

You’re a Creative for a reason! Nothing is off bounds! 🌀🌀🌀

It’s very possible that the best solutions are the ones you never would have reached for first. Be open-minded in your brainstorms and leave room for wild imagining 💭.

However, if the issue is time sensitive and there are tried and tested antidotes, use them 🤙🏿.

Deciphering what bracket the issue falls under is key to staying on top of things.

1. Document Your Solutions 📑📑📑

You never know when you might run into the same issue again, and it would be a shame if you were to forget how you solved it the first time 😳.

Furthermore, if the problem rears its head again, there should be multiple people on the team who know how to recognise and address it in your absence 🫱🏽‍🫲🏿.

Make it a habit to document your solutions, whether it’s online or in a physical folder/ journal.

Contrary to popular belief, as Creatives problem-solving is second nature to us 🌻. Identifying an issue, breaking it down to understand it and then coming up with ideas to resolve it and assessing which of those ideas is both the most effective and suitable is not something new in the creative industry.

Take painting 🖼  for a client or market for instance, it’s not as simple as just putting colours 🔴⚪️🔵 on a canvas, it requires for you to identify a client's needs, likes, dislikes, really get into how their market operates and how best to meet their requirements.

You know how to do this! A few tips from us to guide you and add to your knowledge is all you ever needed 🤌🏿🤌🏿🤌🏿.

For more hard-hitting tips and posts tailored specifically for our creative geniuses be sure to head over to the New Comma page on Instagram @new.comma 🫶🏿🫶🏾🫶🏽

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