How do you deal with time and resource constraints when solving problems creatively?

Prioritize and be selective: Since you have limited resources, it's crucial to prioritize your efforts. Focus on the most critical aspects of the problem and invest your time and resources where they will have the greatest impact. This way, you can avoid spreading yourself too thin and maximize the effectiveness of your problem-solving process.

Go deep to understand the exact issue: When I had such time& resource constraint, I spoke with the solution architect who helped me to find the actual problem in a deep level. So this helped me to kick off the initial discussion

Seek collaboration and diverse perspectives: Engaging with others and seeking different perspectives can be invaluable, especially when time and resources are limited. Collaborating with colleagues, stakeholders, or even external experts can bring fresh ideas and insights to the table. Embrace the power of collective intelligence and leverage the diverse expertise and experiences of others to overcome challenges more effectively.

Way to automate: As we have limited time & resources, instead of putting lot of manual work, let's get help from automation experts who can throw ideas which might reduce manual effort and save some time for us

Emphasise simplicity and minimalism: When resources are scarce, it's crucial to prioritise simplicity and minimalism in your solutions. Look for streamlined approaches that require fewer resources, reduce complexity, and are more efficient. By simplifying your solutions, you can often achieve comparable or even better results with fewer constraints.

Choose success path: After doing analysis of pros &cons. It's also important to analyze how successful method is this. Considering that we have limited time, it's impotent which idea we select and whether the resource has trained/ practised in the approach.

Iterate and refine as you go: Instead of aiming for a perfect solution from the start, embrace an iterative approach. Build upon the ideas and solutions you generate, continuously refining and improving them as you gather feedback and new information. This way, you can make progress even with limited resources and adapt your solutions along the way.

Seek approval: Use RACI chart to identify stakeholders and have your mockups, each steps approved by them and then proceed further

Daily Sync: Conduct a daily connect to ensure the team in on track and no blockers/ challenges. Setup a mile stone to inform key stakeholders on where we stand to align them with project goals.

Tap into existing resources and knowledge: Explore the resources, tools, and knowledge that are already available to you. By leveraging existing assets, you can save time and effort in problem-solving. Look for applicable research, case studies, or best practices that can inform your approach and help you find creative solutions more efficiently. Embrace constraints as opportunities: Constraints can actually fuel creativity by forcing you to think outside the box and find innovative solutions. Instead of viewing constraints as limitations, see them as parameters within which you can explore unique possibilities. Sometimes, limitations can lead to breakthrough ideas that wouldn't have emerged in a context of abundance.

My experience tells me: 1. Make sure you REALLY understand the goal. Can you ‘shift’ the problem? Can you change a precursor or input that you’ve been taking for granted? 2. Brainstorming session - bring as many minds to it as possible, preferably a few who are not familiar with the situation and are willing to both offer ideas and ask questions. 3. Take a nap - Sleep is a valuable time for building memories and connections in your brain. (My brain frequently wakes me up when my solution hits!) 4. Keep your options open - if you cannot find what you believe is the optimal or ideal solution, note the shortcomings and try to ensure that you put something in place that will allow for refinement in the areas of weakness in the future.

Remember, creative problem solving is about finding innovative solutions within the given constraints. By focusing on the core problem, generating multiple ideas, evaluating and selecting the best ones, prototyping and testing, and implementing and monitoring the solutions, you can navigate limited time and resources while still solving problems creatively.

The only constraint in time and resources in creative problem solving is the capacity of your working memory. When I’m trying to solve a big problem, I try and clear my memory of other tasks and topics so I can fill it with the information relevant to the job at hand and then I sit with that inventory of knowledge and let the ideas inside collide. I’ll often times load up with unrelated information to see what materializes. Much of my processing happens while I’m doing physical things - swimming, doing a puzzle, folding laundry. I can let my mind do it’s job while distracted by repetitive tasks. I charge clients for the percentage of my working memory needed to complete their work, because my brain is not bounded by work hours.