Category Archives: work

Sharpening Your Axe: The Key to Achieving Lasting Success in Your Career and Life

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln.

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” – Archilochus.

These two quotes may seem enough to make a point, but let’s dive deeper. While powerful quotes inspire us, it is reflecting on their meaning that can lead to actual growth and understanding.

We constantly face expectations, deadlines, and urgent tasks in our professional and personal lives. It’s easy to feel compelled to jump into action immediately, with no time to plan, set the stage, or improve ourselves.

However, this mindset can be counterproductive in the long run. By hastily making assumptions, we are more prone to mistakes, which can lead to additional problems and perpetuate a vicious cycle.

In software development, success hinges on clear requirements, comprehensive user stories, thorough documentation, well-defined criteria for completion, and rigorous testing. By investing time in these areas, software engineers effectively sharpen their axes, leading to a more efficient development process and fewer mistakes.

In the book “Accelerate: Building and Scaling High-Performing Technology Organizations,” Nicole Forsgren concludes: “High performers understand that they don’t have to trade speed for stability or vice versa because by building quality in, they get both.”

While this advice applies to teams and organizations, it’s also crucial for individuals to invest in personal growth. Embracing challenges and putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations can lead to meaningful development.

Despite our busy schedules and seemingly endless responsibilities, prioritizing self-improvement is essential. A valuable piece of advice is to “pay yourself first.” Dedicate the first 30 to 60 minutes of your workday to learning something new, deepening your expertise, or refining your existing skills.

As a people manager, encouraging your team members to invest in themselves has numerous benefits for team performance:

  1. Broad knowledge leads to diverse perspectives in discussions.
  2. Deep expertise enables the implementation of more efficient solutions.
  3. Proficiency in tools boosts overall efficiency.
  4. Keeping up with industry and market trends gives your team a competitive edge.
  5. Knowledge fosters critical thinking.
  6. People are happier when they feel they are improving, which promotes retention.

We can achieve significant progress when we strive for personal growth and adhere to best practices as an organization. It may be slow initially, but as we build momentum, we become unstoppable.

In conclusion, take the time to invest in yourself and encourage your team to do the same. Embrace continuous learning and growth as both individuals and organizations. Start by dedicating a portion of your day to improving your skills and knowledge. Watch the ripple effect on your personal success, team performance, and overall organizational achievements. So, don’t wait any longer—begin your journey toward self-improvement and excellence today. Remember, every step you take towards sharpening your skills and tools will bring you closer to realizing your full potential and achieving lasting success.

The Value of Thinking Outside the Box: A Tale of Two Employees

An old employee, who has been working for the company for ten years, knocks on the boss’s door with a complaint. The employee mentions that he has been arriving half an hour early and leaving half an hour late daily, working hard, and never complaining. However, a new employee, who started six months ago, has already been promoted and earns more without putting in extra hours. The old employee feels this is unfair and wants to address the issue.

The boss thinks for a minute and says:

– OK, before we continue this conversation, do me a favour: Today is Friday, it’s a hot day, and we’ve had a good week. I’m considering treating the staff to a fruit salad at the end of the day. On the next block, there is a greengrocer. Buy bananas, strawberries and oranges, please.

The employee, good and hardworking, agrees and leaves. About 40 minutes later, he returned sweaty and breathless and said: Boss, unfortunately, the grocery store is out of oranges, but they will get a new delivery at the end of the week, so we will have to postpone until Monday. I already put it on my calendar to go there early.

The boss thanks him and says:

– OK, sit here and watch.

Next, the boss calls the new employee into his office and tells him the same story about the fruit salad. The new employee agrees and leaves without saying anything more than “OK.” This leaves the old employee puzzled.

Less than 10 minutes later, the new employee came back and said:

OK, boss. I called the grocery store, and they’re out of oranges, but then I explained what we’re trying to do here, and they suggested using tangerine, which will give a very similar effect and some people even like it better. I told them how many people we have, and they gave me a quote. I thought we would need disposable cups and spoons too, so I called the corner store and got a quote for that too.
It must take about 40 minutes to go to the grocery store and another 10 to the corner store. Plus, we need to consider the time it will take for an employee to prepare everything. So it could be a little expensive for the company. I called the pastry shop in the neighbouring community because I knew they sell ready-made fruit salad. I got a quote, including delivery, and buying directly from them is cheaper. We can even add ice cream for the exact cost as it would be for us to buy and prepare it ourselves.

As the new employee confidently presented his detailed plan, the old employee watched in disbelief. The new employee’s innovative and proactive approach starkly contrasted with the old employee’s unyielding dedication to output and hours of grunt work.

The boss smiles at the old employee and dismisses the new one just by saying:

– Order it with ice cream.

As the old employee left the boss’s office, he realized it wasn’t enough to put in the hours and work hard. He needed to adapt to the changing demands of the workplace and embrace innovation and proactivity.

Who are you in this tale?