Working with technology in 2013 reminds me that professionals have got to learn the tools of their trade.
Growing up I would often be given tasks on the farm that would require me to use wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers. The repair that I would be tasked with was often far simpler than I made it out to be. Fortunately my father would often show me the error of my ways and make things look easy. For years I wondered why I made everything so darn hard?
After I have taken some time to mature or "grow'd up" I found myself being the "Guy who makes things easy!" Talk about frustrating. I have finally begun to understand what a smart man my father was. His genius was not in the fact that he could do a simple task but rather in the fact that he had me do it.
Changing a tire on a truck one day took me three hours. I had pulled out multiple floor jacks, a plethora of sockets wrenches, and even a hammer to try and get the lug nuts off the truck. Dad kept watch to make sure I didn't get overly stupid and continued working on his project. When I finally gave up and went to grab the sledge hammer he stepped in.
Using some scientific principles, he introduced me to a breaker bar and the strength of your body versus your bicep. Fifteen minutes later I had the tire changed and started the twenty minute task of cleaning up after myself. I asked Dad later how he made it look so easy. His simple answer "Been there before, bigger hammer created more work, use your brain and the correct tool with the right amount of force? Less work." I had been Miyagi'ed.
In the city I run across the improper tool and the idea of purchasing a bigger hammer. I have to remind myself to let the professionals I train continue working hard and getting very little done. The lesson I learned is that they won't appreciate what I have to teach them unless they have struggled with what they are attempting. Conversely, if I step in to soon workers will often "let me do it" and fail to gain the knowledge they need to take ownership.
Teaching folk about the folly of bigger hammers and the value of less is more can sometimes prove more work in the beginning for me. As the learner progresses the value of stepping aside and being patient will often gain the results and win higher approval of the Principal.
Growing up I would often be given tasks on the farm that would require me to use wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers. The repair that I would be tasked with was often far simpler than I made it out to be. Fortunately my father would often show me the error of my ways and make things look easy. For years I wondered why I made everything so darn hard?
After I have taken some time to mature or "grow'd up" I found myself being the "Guy who makes things easy!" Talk about frustrating. I have finally begun to understand what a smart man my father was. His genius was not in the fact that he could do a simple task but rather in the fact that he had me do it.
Changing a tire on a truck one day took me three hours. I had pulled out multiple floor jacks, a plethora of sockets wrenches, and even a hammer to try and get the lug nuts off the truck. Dad kept watch to make sure I didn't get overly stupid and continued working on his project. When I finally gave up and went to grab the sledge hammer he stepped in.
Using some scientific principles, he introduced me to a breaker bar and the strength of your body versus your bicep. Fifteen minutes later I had the tire changed and started the twenty minute task of cleaning up after myself. I asked Dad later how he made it look so easy. His simple answer "Been there before, bigger hammer created more work, use your brain and the correct tool with the right amount of force? Less work." I had been Miyagi'ed.
In the city I run across the improper tool and the idea of purchasing a bigger hammer. I have to remind myself to let the professionals I train continue working hard and getting very little done. The lesson I learned is that they won't appreciate what I have to teach them unless they have struggled with what they are attempting. Conversely, if I step in to soon workers will often "let me do it" and fail to gain the knowledge they need to take ownership.
Teaching folk about the folly of bigger hammers and the value of less is more can sometimes prove more work in the beginning for me. As the learner progresses the value of stepping aside and being patient will often gain the results and win higher approval of the Principal.