Find time to sharpen your saw
Andrew Mann
Managing Partner at NorthBailey. Having had senior marketing & loyalty roles at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Coop and M&S, I'm now using my experience & network to solve strategic marketing problems for NorthBailey clients.
It was the final day of the annual woodcutting competition and just two competitors were left. One, young and strong with plenty of stamina and the other, experienced but older and quicker to tire. The whistle blew and they were off; their goal to be the one to cut the most wood in the allotted time.
Throughout the day the young man toiled incessantly, pleased when he regularly heard his opponent’s saw fall silent, secure in the knowledge that the other was tiring and needed to rest. By the end of the day, as he stood before his enormous wood pile, he was exhausted, but confident that he would be crowned the winner. His confidence faltered, however, when he saw the other woodsman’s far larger woodpile.
“How have you managed to saw more wood than me – I heard you stop to rest almost every hour?” Asked the incredulous young man.
“I wasn’t resting. I was sharpening my saw.” Replied the winner.
Often in business, a competitive edge is lost because our default setting is to keep doing the things we’ve always done. Instead of stepping back and identifying the real problem, we work harder but not necessarily smarter.
At North Bailey experience has taught us that definition of the problem linked to business outcomes is key to getting the results your company really needs. Our experience brings a fresh perspective and critical thinking along with a wealth of knowledge. We are provocative, challenge convention, ask the difficult questions and allow you to see your business from a different perspective.
We’ll sharpen your saw.