Lessons from the basement shop

By Robert Dickson

Storytelling, metaphors, analogies, allegories… All figurative tools I use to improve the lives of others by way of providing connections between tangible experiences and abstract concepts.? Physical tools, those I enjoy because I always learn something when using them and get to repair, construct and create at the same time. When I use my tools, physical and figurative, to assist others with their projects, I feel that I have made a lasting positive impact, meaning I have done something good in the world.

I look around my workshop and realize that there are a million metaphors for life and business just sitting there. ?I figure that most people on LinkedIn have interacted with a tool of some sort, from a screwdriver to the latest in 3D metal printing, and the lessons you can get from them all work the same. ?I am going to put a few of my favorites below, but I want to hear yours!? Comment with a “tool” metaphor that applies to business, or life, and it can be anything from the kitchen, to the backyard, or the factory floor.?

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To set the stage, my current workshop (not counting when large power tools are rolled outside) is 13 x 15 feet.? I have my larger tools parked in the garage space. As you can see in the images, what I have is somewhere between minimal and cramped. ?

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-Organize.? Before you start a project, make sure the tools you need are in place and readily available.? Hunting for the right tool, or worse, having to buy it in a rush, burns time and can be expensive when you are against a deadline.

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-Plan your work in advance.? You will likely never have the perfect space or the best layout in which to complete your work.? Prior to starting, visualize how you will go through the steps in your project and look for blockers.? If you must move items around to avoid those blockers, it is better to do it before the project starts.? There is always going to be ANOTHER blocker lurking you will have to deal with. Keep them to a minimum with a little effort at the beginning.

?-Maintain your tools.? When you aren’t in the midst of a project, take that opportunity to ensure your equipment is in top shape.? There is nothing worse than picking up a tool to complete a key task, and…fizzle… now you are stuck with TWO problems, and rushing a solution is stressful and likely expensive.? Preventative maintenance can feel like “work” never ends, but it provides peace of mind and stops dramas or disasters before they happen.

?-Get the right tools.? Within financial reason, of course.? Budgets are a thing, so the low-cost option might work fine if it is limited use; but if you are going to use that tool a lot, find the most reliable version.? Quality counts; make the investment.? You CAN hammer a nail with a crescent wrench, trust me, it does work.... poorly.? Shortcuts rarely work the way you want, using a wrench as a hammer will waste time, and the result probably looks secondhand the moment you are done.? The right tools save time, stress, and create better end results.

?-Think in different dimensions.? If it is physical space, or digital space or abstract constructs, step back and flip it over, close one eye, and stick your tongue out.? Get different perspectives and find ways to maximize what you have, to either complete your task or increase the functionality of what you possess.? Almost every large tool I own, and most of my worktables, are mobile so I can position them as needed, but store as minimally as possible.? Wall space is used as storage, for quick access, and as an instant reference to know if a tool is misplaced. A wrench left under the hood can be catastrophic.

?-Add your own metaphors in the comments!? And if you have gotten this far, you get to learn why I have a big yellow drum spill containment platform hanging from the ceiling.? Nothing magical, except for the time I save.? When I use my lathe, I drop the platform down to the floor and stand on it while shaping. 75% or more of the shavings fall right into it.? No sweeping, almost nothing on the floor, and then I brush the shavings from the table right into it.? It holds a lot, too, so I only need to clean it out every few projects.? A little out of the box thinking has saved me a whole lot of clean up over the years.

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