As you may or may not know, one of my passionate hobbies is woodworking. I love the combination of functionality and beauty, and my latest project is building a new countertop for our kitchen island, which is actually an antique cabinet. The new countertop will overhang on two sides, so we can sit around it, as well as have more working area.
This project has been drawn out, and I really want to get it done!
And yet… one of my woodworking tools is old, and I needed to change out the blades… this, of course, means removing a number of screws that held the blades in a place.
Yes, this is important to your business, I promise you.
However… of the eight screws (four per blade), 4 were really stuck, and my attempts to remove them with a hex key… they ended up stripped.
This meant a trip to the hardware store, to ask the advice of someone there. There’s a local hardware store I love, an Ace hardware affiliate, J&W Hardware, that has really experienced, helpful people on staff.
They recommended buying this thing- it’s a drill bit meant for metal, to drill out the center of the screw, and then another attachment that screws into the resulting hole. This then allows you to get a better purchase and remove the screw.
This worked really well… on three out of the four screws. The last one had resisted all attempts in drilling out the center.
Come to find out, after some research, that drilling metal is WAY different than drilling wood. In order to drill metal, you use a little oil to keep it cool, and drill at a MUCH slower speed. High speed drilling builds up heat rapidly and evidently ruins the temper of the drill bit and dulls it.
So… I’ve ruined probably at least 5 drill bits then… and I had to make another trip to the hardware store to get another drill bit, this time to do it properly.
This all meant that, instead of making progress on the woodworking project, I spent a whole weekend just trying to make the tool work that I want to use.
And yes, the new drill bit and the new way of drilling worked, and I got the last screw out!
So here’s where it applies to your business.
I draw two lessons from this that I think are helpful in a business context.
1. Attending to our tools and systems is worthy work. We want to get going already and “get things done.” But, our tools, our systems, our workspaces, are really worth giving loving attention to.
This can feel really challenging, especially in the face of financial needs, or just a desire to make progress.
We neglected a system of ours for far too long, and it caused problems for clients, and we had to pay some refunds because of it. Where if we just had taken the time to overhaul the system, we would have been in far better shape.
And, there’s the second lesson, which is related to the first.
2. Sometimes, in some situations, going more slowly is *essential.* That you can actually waste a LOT of time and energy by trying to move quickly.
Trying to drill out that screw quickly cost me far more time and money. If I had taken my time, I would have had the blades changed in the first 45 minutes, rather than spending the entire weekend on it.
Similarly, trying to rush into something new in your business can mean big mistakes, lost money, lost opportunity.
The tricky thing, of course, is balancing against perfectionism, where one just wants to test and test and test and never put anything out there. So, yes, avoid the other end of the pendulum.
I offer you these learnings as I sit down at my desk this morning, and find myself dreaming of drill bits…
Image: Boards of cherry wood, from a tree on our property, that I’m turning into a countertop for our island. although I learned a ton about caring for tools and removing stripped screws.
with love,
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.
