Abraham Maslow wrote in 1966, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail". I love this concept, because it always helps me do two important things. First, it helps me reframe any given problem in front of me. Whether I'm in the thick of it, striving to educate myself further in this vast and complex industry I am now a part of, or if even have normal home repair DIY projects I'm struggling to get done. It makes me take a second look at the "nail", and ask if there is a completely different way to perceive or quantify my goals. Is it really a nail? Maybe it's screw? Maybe it's the damn wifi router and it just needs unplugged and I just want to smash it with a hammer because it will feel good.
The second thing this quote confronts me with, subsequently, is an appreciation for having the right tool. Once I've really fleshed out the things I want to achieve, the one-dimensional tool (i.e. the hammer) immediately reveals its limitations.
The Tools of Industry
Like most heavy industries, it is easy to conflate what the real "tools" are when you have giant, hulking machines throwing their impressive weight around. They are truly modern marvels. They can tear up a stretch of highway, process it, blend it and turn it right back around into a freshly pressed road. And they are getting smarter, more advanced, and complex every day. Our reliance on them grows at a similar pace too. However, when broken down to their most basic elements and function, they are still hammers.
The true and most valuable tools of the industry are the men and women who put their hand to the grindstone every day, stand in the baking sun. put on their boots, and get the job done. Smart business owners know this. They listen and pay attention when their people share the knowledge of their experience. A person who's done a task 1000 times knows a thing or two about that task, and sometimes are the first to know when the "hammer" is the wrong way to go.
Quality vs Control
This issue we've set our sights on quality. There are a lot of ways to assure the kind of quality standards you need to achieve can be met. In this issue we share some of the current devices, technology and methodology that can get you there. That isn't the final word, though, because we would be remiss if we left it at that alone. Anyone can tell you how difficult it is, not just in our industry but across the board, to find, hire, and keep good hard workers today. Sometimes it is a matter of the pool of available workers, but other times it's not. Sometimes it is related to issues on the job site that get overlooked like racism, sexism, other forms of discrimination
Maybe you are like the other thousands of employers out there with open positions that desperately need filled. You are looking for the type of quality employee that you're not going to invest time, resources, and energy only to see them bail a short time later. Take a second look. The people on your team likely have a fresh perspective on how to attract what it is you need. Adding that point of view to your inventory can only strengthen your relationships with them, as well as provide what could be a key component. Perhaps, it isn't a nail, and you don't need a hammer.
