Managing Mondays: A Cut Above The Rest!

You may have heard the phrase “Sharpen the Saw” in Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He uses the example of a woodcutter who is constantly sawing wood day after day who progressively loses productivity as the blade of his saw becomes dull. The woodcutter’s solution to overcoming decreasing productivity while working to cut wood is to periodically sharpen his saw so that he can continue to be productive by using a sharp tool.

Times have changed!

If you have ever used a hand saw you might think a saw is a saw, it cuts through wood and you end up with two pieces of wood and a pile of sawdust in the end. Although this is true to a point, Stanley Tools makes a modern saw called the FatMax Saw with BladeArmor that has a special composite coating on the blade.

“Yeah, so, who cares, what’s the difference?”

Now if you were to take these two saws and try to cut through a 2×4 piece of wood, you would realize the difference in the traditional handsaw compared with the one with a special coating. The Stanley FatMax Saw without BladeArmor will cut through the wood and it will do a sufficient job. It might tweak here and there, and it might stick a bit from time to time, but in the end you have two pieces of wood and a pile of sawdust. Now using the saw with BladeArmor, you will still end up having the same results, two pieces of wood and a pile of sawdust, but you will have it in half the time. Why? Because the BladeArmor gives you:

50% less friction

2x rust protection

6x abrasion protection

You might spend a couple extra dollars, but in the end it is worth it because you created two pieces of wood and a pile of sawdust in half the time and you avoided the:

Extra friction of the saw cutting through the wood

Toll that rust can take on your saw

Abrasion caused by cutting through the wood

Now what if you could apply this concept to your day-to-day life. How would you like to go through life with your own armor which provides you:

50% less life friction?

2x protection against the corrosion caused by life?

6x less abrasion from others?

You would love it! So why not take the time to upgrade your saw?

Ask yourself these questions:

How sharp is your saw?

Does it cut smooth?

Does it cut straight?

Does it cut through wood like a hot knife through butter?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then take a step back and look at where you can make improvement to your skills.

Upgrade Time

What needs to be done to improve your saw?

First, you need to take time for yourself.

It is all too easy in this industrious world we live into skip a meal, forget to exercise and not sleep as much as we should. All of these things are important to keeping you healthy, energetic and alert. According to MayoClinic.com improving these areas of your life can help you to:

• Enhance your mood
• Combat disease
• Manage weight
• Boost your energy level
• Promote better sleep
• Improve your memory
• Enrich your health

Second, spend time with your family, friends, and colleagues.

Studies have shown our social relationships can directly affect our mental and physical health. In order to keep up solid relationships, it is important to be:

• Approachable
• Genuine and honest to others
• A good listener
• Loyal and respectful of confidentiality when others confide in you
• Supportive of their situations and to add perspective to what they say
• Considerate of your relationships and giving of your time and self

Third, contrary to what you might think; YOU DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING!

Take some time to learn. By taking time to improve your mental skills whether it be through formal classes, reading, writing or even teaching others. It will help you to:

• Be more productive and efficient
• Ensue a competitive character giving you an advantage over others
• Enhance career opportunities
• Improve your skills by getting better at what you do
• Become a disciplined person

Lastly, take time to enjoy life!

When was the last time you jumped out of bed in the morning exhilarated for the day with a complete calm, not thinking about the issues affecting your life? When is the last time you dived into a pile of autumn leaves, without thinking how dirty you were going to get? When is the last time you jumped in a puddle, with no concern of getting wet?

“Childhood is that state which ends the moment a puddle is first viewed as an obstacle instead of an opportunity.” – Kathy Williams

It’s about:

• Finding peace in your life
• Taking the time to appreciate all your existence has to offer
• Enjoying those little circumstances you encounter each day which brighten your spirit.

There are a number of ways you can cultivate your spirituality:

• Go for a nature hike
• Listen to music
• Visit a local gallery to appreciate some art
• Volunteer in your community
• Pray or attend church

“Everyday is a new opportunity…so don’t waste it!”

Each day provides you a new opportunity to renew your being. Take time for yourself, be social, spend time learning and enhance your spirit.

What will you do to improve your saw? How can you reduce friction in your workplace. How can you equip team members to preserve what is working well? What can you add to your team members tool box to help them produce more with less effort? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Email to a friend

—————————————————–
Jason Christensen is National Accounts Manager for The Stanley Works.
He can be reached at [email protected]

Image Sources: thisoldhouse.com, cadesign86.com