How to Solve Problems Creatively
Everyone has obstacles, or challenges throughout their lifetime
and it's how people deal with these problems that sets them
apart. What if there's a tough problem that bothers you and you
can't seem to come up with a solution or answer no matter how
hard you try? Have you try thinking outside the box?
For example, let's say there's someone who filed bankruptcy,
has bad credit, no car, and very little money. He currently
works as an outside salesperson so in order to make money to pay
the bills he needs transportation to get to his prospect's
house. What are some solutions? Well, he could quit the job and
work at an office but the pay would be significantly reduced and
he might not be able to support himself and pay his bills if he
did that. So that's out of the question. He could catch the bus,
but that would take too long to get to each prospect's house if
he had 3-5 appointments a day.
Assuming that he still has an least 1 credit card left with a
little bit of credit on it, he could go rent a car and take it
day by day. It might be more expensive than buying a car but at
least he doesn't have to deal with car insurance and not being
able to qualify for a car due to his financial problems.
Another solution would be to hire an immigrant who would
otherwise work at a minimum wage job to drive him around to his
appointments. The requirement would be that this driver had to
have a car and car insurance. The driver would also sign a
contract as an independent contractor. He could pay the guy $7-8
bucks an hour for an 8-hour day with cash or check. It's pricey
but let's assume our salesman sells something that would give
him $700-800 per sale, and if he makes at least 4-5 sales a
week, he could pay the driver out of his commissions.
Or this salesman could adapt his selling skills to try to close
prospects over the phone, on the Internet, and also using the
fax machine to get this contracts signed. There are constant
changes in our lives, so the key is just to adapt and change
with the times.
Have you practiced thinking creatively in your business and in
your personal life? If not, then you should try it because a lot
of problems do have solutions but they may not be the
traditional solution that you're looking for. If a solution
works, does it matter if it's traditional thinking or creative
thinking that got the job done? Of course not.