Never take essential skills for granted

I hired some movers this week. We needed to dispose of some older pieces of furniture that were being swapped out with some newer pieces. I used to recruit unsuspecting friends with the promise to reciprocate at some future time which would hopefully never materialize. With age comes wisdom so I decided to use professionals. Not only did they do a great job, but they saved my back and my social status.

I found myself observing the mover’s skills…

First, they showed up on time and introduced themselves. They listened to what I needed and asked appropriate questions. They requested an overview of all the work needed and discussed the materials they would need and what would be the most efficient order of movement. They wrapped the necessary pieces to minimize damage. They planned before they started executing.

The Prussian field marshal, von Clausewitz said “no plan survives contact with enemy” and the enemy in this case was a large hardwood dresser approximately the weight and dimensions of a farm tractor.

While I watched them carefully maneuver the leviathan, I observed another critical skill set: communication. They checked with one another: “are you ready?”, “coming up on that step”, “how’s your grip?”. If something wasn’t quite right, they stopped, agreed on a change in tactic and adjusted on the fly. Another skill set! Flexibility.

They flawlessly executed a project using the same skills used in corporate project management. To often we get caught up in Gantt charts and email and forget about the simple necessities.

I don’t want to hear about complexity. Complexity just means more tasks and inter-dependencies. These can be broken down into their simplest form to apply the same skills: planning, communication and flexibility. There certainly are tools to help with tracking, reporting, etc. but without the basic human skills we learn as we socialize and work with other people, what’s the point?

You can learn things from skilled professionals anywhere and anytime so be observant.