A few weeks ago, I was at a relative’s house trimming the trees so that they wouldn’t damage the roof. I had brought some of my own tools that I use all the time for various tree trimming jobs at my own house. They had served me well for many years. I had inherited them from my grandfather many years ago, and they had given me years of good service.
One particular tree was more of a giant bush than a tree. I encountered a few issues when trying to trim it. The branches were too thick for my lopper, but they weren’t stable enough to be able to saw through easily either because they would sway as I tried to cut them. I decided the lopper was the best tool because at least I could control the branch as I tried to clip it, even though the branches were quite thick. I was having a lot of difficulty and getting tired very quickly. I needed a new solution.
I decided to look around my relative’s garage and see if they had a better saw. I definitely needed to do something different. Long story short, I found a much newer lopper, one that required far less strength due to being better designed. That tool cut through the branches of the overgrown bush like it was a thin reed. Super easy. I got the job done in just a few minutes. Far faster than I would have otherwise.
So why do I post this in a business-related blog?
During these last few months, I’ve been teaching a leadership class. One of the lessons was on the subject of retaining good talent. Part of the recipe for retaining talent is to provide them with all the tools they need for the job. I was reminded how important this truly is from my tree trimming experience.
When we don't provide our teams with the right tools for the job, we tire them out, it takes far more time than necessary, and we seriously damage morale in the process. The last consequence is likely the most expensive. Sadly, we typically do this just to save a few bucks, which logically makes no sense given how much we lose in productivity.
In my example, if I had continued to use my outdated tool, I would have tired myself out, done a poor job, and likely not volunteered to do that ever again! In fact, I likely would have hired someone to do the job next time, costing me more money, and it would have been someone that would end up doing the job easily because they would bring the right tools in the first place! Something I could easily do myself if I would have just made the small investment up front.
As we grow our companies, it can be emotionally difficult to make the necessary investments in technology and tools along the way. Things are constantly changing, and it’s so expensive as well. It’s much easier in the short term to just do the job with our old tools… the way we always have. This is a mistake though. When we arm our teams with the latest technology, and the most appropriate tools, the job gets done faster, the team is happier, and our companies become more profitable in the long term… even after considering the increased expense of having the right tools.
Arm your team with the right tools for the job. Everyone, including you, will be happier for it.
Until next time, I wish you the best in your business.
Mark Goldman
Providing your team with the right tools expands their critical thinking skills and they advance as problem solvers. If all you provided was a hammer, everything would look like a nail.