The Importance of Resourcefulness

With the recession forcing us to make do with what we have, being resourceful is now a necessary skill for today’s leaders. It’s not simply a matter of doing more with less. Rather, what’s important is the realisation that you can do more with less because you and your colleagues are more capable than you first believed.

Resourcefulness isn’t simply a means of coping with deprivation; it can be a virtue that opens the door to greater accomplishment. Here are some suggestions for being resourceful:

Start With an Open Mind

Being open-minded about new possibilities is critical to putting resourcefulness into action. The leader who steps up and says “Yes, we can do this” is the one who can push colleagues to do things others might consider impractical.

Turn Innovation Inward

Innovation isn’t just about creating something new; it also applies to making old things work better. We see this spirit at work in the maintenance of large facilities – factories, buildings, even ships. Those who service them may not always follow a manual; they diagnose problems and figure out what tools are at hand to fix them.

Choose Specifics

If you’re thinking about the bigger picture of the downturn, it may be tempting to reinvent how your company does business. But adopting a realistic attitude about what you can do in the short term might be more productive. Think about revising specific roles and responsibilities with an eye toward simplicity and cost savings.

Lean on Your Staff

Conventional thinking in frugal times says stop spending, but sometimes managers conflate that mantra with “stop doing.” Have discussions about what your team can do to turn doing more with less into a process for improvement.

Celebrate Your Lessons

To encourage the spread of resourcefulness, leaders must make certain that individual accomplishments are publicised. After their work is recognised and rewarded, resourceful employees can then teach what they’ve learned to others.

Resourcefulness, while critical now, shouldn’t be reserved for hard times. When prosperity returns, relying on one’s ability to do more with existing resources and lead people to do the same will be a virtuous behaviour.

Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate