There are three types of workers, tool collectors, craftsmen/women and artists. Some years ago I remember watching my brother and his friend fix up homes. I would watch them get out of the truck carrying heavy-duty power tools and carpentry equipment. I watched them for a week as they remodeled my mother’s kitchen. My brother’s friend John, had a really nice tool bag around his waist with some slick carpenter tools. Many of the tools that John owned were supposed to make the job easier. However, as the week progressed and as I watched John’s work, I was rather surprised. I noticed a number of unacceptable flaws in his finished work. Apparently, John was not skilled in using his tools. His right angles were off, the measurements missed the mark and his use of a level was criminal. This guy had all the tools but he failed to master the tools, solve problems and be creative. Worst of all, John claimed to be a custom builder and he thought his work was outstanding. Evidently, he skipped the free Home Depot “Brush Up Your Skills” workshop series.
Have you experienced similar challenges in your world? Think about some of the people who are on your team or within your organization. Are they tool collectors, craftsmen or artists?
- Do they take courses and collect tools/skills that they never use?
- Do they attend conferences just to get out of the office?
- Do they have a growth plan to improve their skills?
- Do they have the brand new steroid “juiced” laptop but they can’t open a spreadsheet?
- Do they have the REALLY nice Nike running gear but they can’t run?
If you answer “yes” to some of these questions you may have a number of tool collectors on your team. Nevertheless, don’t lose hope… tool collectors CAN grow into the role of a craftsman!
Craftsmen/women:
- Take responsibility for sharpening their skills
- Map out growth plans
- Don’t buy tools that they don’t know how to use
- Are self-aware and take pride in their work
Over the last few decades many jobs have been commoditized. Companies such as Google, Apple and Amazon are building cultures of innovation. How can you take you organizations to new heights?
Next level thinkers are artists.
The artist:
- Envisions new patterns
- Originates, collaborates and innovates
- Designs and tests, redesigns and tests, redesigns and tests
- Acknowledges, learns and capitalizes from failures
As leaders, we have to find creative ways to draw out the craftsmen and the artists within our organizations to solve the next wave of challenges in our ever-changing world.
Take some time today to help a tool collector, encourage a craftsman and challenge an artist!
“A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.”
– Louis Nizer
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