Unconventional Problem-Solving: Lessons from a Durga Puja Project

In the dynamic world of project management and event planning, we often encounter challenges that demand more than cookie-cutter solutions. My two-year journey serving on a non-profit board has been a masterclass in tackling unconventional problems, particularly through our annual Durga Puja event. This traditional celebration, drawing up to 500 attendees at its peak, requires a delicate balance of creativity, teamwork, and adaptability—especially when it comes to stage preparation and decoration.

The Challenge: Crafting a Climate Change-Themed Boat

This year, our team embarked on an ambitious voyage: creating a wooden boat backdrop to highlight the pressing issue of climate change. With a small team of dedicated volunteers working part-time and a mere two months to bring our vision to life, we faced significant challenges. Our mission was clear yet complex: prioritize our work, bring creative problem-solving to the table, and ensure that our final creation could be assembled within a tight 5-6 hour window at the event venue.

The Process: From Imagination to Reality

1. Ideation: Setting Sail on a Sea of Creativity

Our journey began with unleashing our collective imagination. We encouraged every team member to contribute ideas, no matter how unconventional they might seem. This brainstorming phase was crucial in generating a diverse range of concepts to choose from. Based on braining storming and idea compilation we came out with the below image as the guiding idea for the work. This stage is so important to learn how to go from divergent set of ideas into two or three ideas that are best suited for the occasion.

2. Feasibility: Balancing Dreams with Reality

With our shortlisted pool of ideas, we moved on to assessing their feasibility. This stage required a delicate balance of creativity, some engineering for the frames, and project management skills to assess the time needed to do the work. We navigated through various constraints such as time, budget, and complexity while keeping our eyes on the objective: a visually excellent and meaningful creation. One of the most valuable lessons we learned was the art of keeping it simple, taking inspiration from day-to-day object and transformation them into something extraordinary. This approach is beautifully illustrated in the following image where we built part of the boat using used cardboard boxes:

In our quest for innovation, we even consulted ChatGPT for fresh perspectives. While we ultimately charted our own course, the AI's suggestions was inspiration, may be another time. Great to see it can though it is language model it can think creative way, problem solving to bring that to life. May be next year it can become co-pilot for the project ??

3. Implementation: Riding the Waves of Change

As we moved into the implementation phase, our carefully laid plans met the unpredictable tides of reality. We designed our boat in smaller, easily as semblable components, anticipating a quick setup at the venue. However, some parts didn't fit as planned, and we encountered unforeseen elements at the venue. This is where our team's adaptability truly shone. We made some improvisation on the plan using available resources to turn things around, twisted our original plan, and brought new ideas to the table to complete the work. The result of our perseverance and flexibility was nothing short of breathtaking:

4. Celebration and Reflection: Anchoring in Success

With our vision successfully brought to life, we took great inspiration from these achievements. This final stage was crucial not just for feeling good about completing the project on time, but also for reflecting on the journey that brought us here. The sight of two months of hard work coming together beautifully filled us with an immense sense of pride and accomplishment.

Lessons from the Voyage

1. Embrace creativity in problem-solving: Unconventional challenges require thinking outside the box—or in our case, outside the boat.
2. Flexibility is your best compass: Be prepared to adapt your plans when faced with unexpected obstacles. The ability to pivot quickly can turn potential disasters into triumphs.
3. Teamwork makes the dream work: A crew with varied skills and good chemistry can navigate even the most complex projects effectively.
4. Plan for the unexpected: Always have contingency plans and extra time built into your schedule. In the unpredictable seas of event planning, this foresight can be your lifesaver.
5. Celebrate your successes: Take time to acknowledge achievements and reflect on the work that brought your vision to reality. These moments of appreciation fuel future innovations.

Conclusion: Sailing into the Future

Our experience creating this unique model for our Durga Puja celebration transcended mere event decoration. It was a profound lesson in leadership, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. The skills and insights gained from this project have applications far beyond event planning—they are a valuable toolkit for navigating the complex waters of personal and professional challenges. As we look to the horizon, we carry with us not just memories of a successful event, but a treasure trove of strategies for tackling whatever unconventional problems may surface. In the end, our journey was about more than creating a beautiful backdrop; it was about fostering great team work, culture of innovation, adaptability, and continuous learning. This Durga Puja project stands as a testament to what can be achieved when imagination meets determination, and when a team comes together to turn challenges into opportunities. As we sail into future projects, we do so with confidence, knowing that with creativity, flexibility, and teamwork, no challenge is too great to overcome.