The Art Of Complex Problem Solving

I'm sure that most everyone probably agrees with the idea that ideas live or die by how well they're communicated.

What really needs to be addressed, in most situations involving more than 5 people, is the fine art of follow through and the respect of other peoples time, enabling everyone involved to do their best.

Information is useless when it sits on somebody's desk until the 11th hour or later. And at the end of the day, nobody remembers how many rabbits were pulled out of the hat, just that the deliverables were less than stellar.

No wonder there's a virtual revolving door at most shops and the annual employee Christmas party attendees are never the same from year to year.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when people have mutual respect and trust for each other and information is shared in a timely manner. If you've ever been in a situation without the above respect, you're probably familiar with lines like "It's like this everywhere" and "Get used to it, that's just the way it is." Well, it's not.

It may be the law of the land in the egocentric bottom-line driven big agency environment, but as you've probably experienced with true friends and colleagues, there are places where the common goal is bona fide trust and respect. It just takes a while to find your place, but it does exist.

Bottom-line, as my friend Tom Rehkopf (one of my true-blue-go-to-guys since 1978) says, "If you like what you're gettin' - keep doin' what you're doin'. If you want something different, do something different."

Thanks Tom.

Meanwhile, check out these nice infographics at The Art Of Complex Problem Solving.

That's Right,

HMK