Ode to a Chain Saw
Everyone at work chuckles when I, once again, tell them I was out with the chain saw this weekend. They’re laughing because they’re trying to picture their nerd boss act like a mountain man. Fact of the matter is, I am a nerd. I do call Verizon every month or so to see when they’ll be lowering my DSL price and increasing the speed. I like futzing with my Tivo and I can program in C++. I also love my chain saw. Deal with it.
I have fond memories of the smell of a chain saw. My Dad has been using them for forty years, so I grew up with the stench of burning gas and fresh cut wood. Still, The Dad was bright enough to keep me away from the chain saw until I was ready. I’m the guy who killed an orchard with a Volvo when I was eighteen… we called it “vehicular orchardcide”. So, probably not a good idea to let me near lethal weapons until I turned twenty. He waited until I was thirty.
The previous home owner left me a chain saw, so I’ve been busy. Fire wood, you see. Oh yeah, kindling, too. What’s that? Need those bushes trimmed? Be right there. Waitwaitwait, let me clean-up that Christmas tree for you. I HAVE JUST THE THING.
Since this piece is really going no where, I leave you with this — it’s a list of how your many skills as a manager are like a chain saw.
- Both require constant attention
- You need to be standing flat on both feet before you get started
- Getting in the way of either when they’re doing their job well is a bad idea
- When used correctly, it’s always surprising how well they work
- The art involved is sometimes subtle
- A poor split second decision can have instant and, sometimes, lasting consequences
- Sometimes just starting the damned thing is a bitch
- Both appear intimidating at first, but are actually quite easy
- When you stop respecting it, you get burned
- If your blade is dull then you are wasting your time (Thanks Matt)
