Stop Waiting

Waiting for an answer is the worst. Waiting for someone else to do something is the
worst.
They probably won’t do it as fast as you or the way you want it. On the other hand, if they do do it, (haha doo doo) and they do it the way you like, well, then you’ve saved hours, maybe weeks of time even and they have achieved a thing. I become “we” and you’re a team of sorts. 

What is waiting really?
When it comes to work or artistic endeavors there is real and productive waiting. For example, when someone let’s say an intern who I’m in charge asks a question over email, many many times I can wait, and I’ll get a response to the effect of “never mind I figured it out.”

Why? Why is this? While the answer may vary, I think it is largely due to a culture of relying on others to do our own work.  Which is problematic because it becomes a really easy place to make excuses.  “I’m waiting for a reply on that…”  The unfinished end of that sentence said that people don’t say it “...until then, I’m going to do nothing!”

“I’m waiting for so and so to get me that report”, “I’m waiting for a reply from my friend because I’m kinda’ stuck on this project.” 

Here’s an example from today for me. I’m editing a video for work. It’s pretty good, but not great, the story doesn’t seem to have structure. It’s unclear who it’s for and the premise is kinda loose and undefined. 

So, I sent a text to two friends in a group saying: can you help me out with this? tell me how to fix it/improve it. 

The things is...if i walk away for a few minutes, if I take a walk. Maybe reflect and/or write a blog post about waiting (now we’re getting meta)  the actual answer I need is likely to come to me from me. 

No, I don’t mean the muse or magical fairy godmother of creativity I mean the answer is somewhere along the path of bad ideas. Now as I write these I come to see, what I really need. Write down a list of bad ideas and write them until a good idea comes along. 

A strategy
Anyway, back to waiting. Waiting is really a pain. I really like these two terms that are similar: UIHO and UNODIR

Unless I hear Otherwise and Unless Otherwise Directed.
Two great (similar) strategies both to use on yourself and to use with your team. 
As a friend of mine described UIHO “It creates a bias for action.” Rather than waiting for instruction (that probably will never come)
You say and think, unless other wise directed, I’m going to create this thing, make this video, add these sounds etc. 
It gives everyone the full empowerment: You to take action (or your team)  and the supervisor can say “hang on, let’s do xyz.”

While there is no rule that is always true. I have found that in work and creativity, that “waiting” is really code for “I’m stuck” “I’m scared” “I want to postpone.”