Ever use a pair of pliers to drive a nail into wood? I have. I got the task done...in about 3 times the time and a lot of sore knuckles.
My dad was a pretty skilled woodworker and car mechanic. I learned early on that having the right tool makes any project or task easier to perform and with more precision and intentionality. In the world that the Lord has allowed me to spend my career, Church Facilities, the same is true. Let me explain:
- Ministry is most effective with the right "tool" - meaning the right facility to meet the vision and mission of the church.
- Having the right tools can make the churches facility staff more efficient - with the appropriate software to reduce the stress and strain on the staff.
- Having the right accounting software is critical of efficiency - otherwise we would still be using an abacus.
- Intentional integration and automation tools can increase effectiveness and efficiencies.
I think you get it.
I was reading a blog by Seth Godin the other day on this topic and I was struck by how similar his use of the term "tool" parallels the above. Check out what he said:
Projects often require tools. The right tool gets the job done (all of it) and an inferior one leaves it undone (none of it).
There's a spectrum of cost, though. Tools require different levels of expense to purchase and use. If you use a cheap tool, you might end up with nothing. Use the right tool, and you get the desired result.
Because the cost of tools usually fills out a linear scale from cheap to expensive, we can be lulled into believing that the results are also on a linear scale. But that's not true.
You'll need to spend enough to get anything at all. Less than that is a total waste of time and money.
Better to use a tool that cost more than you expected than to use a cheap tool and get nothing in return.
So...what really is the cost of using the wrong tool? I would contend that it is much higher than you imagined. Don't start 2020 with the wrong tools.