When You Have Fewer Resources — Improvise, Get Very, Very Creative!

The real Gene Kranz

We never lost an American in space. We’re sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch.
Failure is not an option.
Gene Kranz, in the midst of the Apollo 13 Crisis (from the script of the movie)

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I’m hearing it everywhere.  People in companies, organizations, nonprofits, government agencies are all having to make do with fewer resources.

There are only so many approaches available.

One approach — whine.  And there is more than a little whining going on.

Another approach – quit.  Give up.

These first two approaches do not seem to be very productive.  And neither will increase the resources available.

In fact, it really does look like an extended time of fewer resources.  Nothing that anyone can do will bring us more resources anytime soon.  So – what do we do?

A third approach is to get really, really creative, and do what you can with what you’ve got.

So – here is a scene to remind us that there are times when we really have no choice but to get really creative.  It is based on a very true piece of our history.  There was no time to whine.  It was definitely not a time to quit.  There were lives to save.

And they did it.

Take a look.