How to Hold a Hammer (and Why it Matters)
Most people hold a hammer entirely wrong– even a few professional carpenters do. For whatever reason, the majority of us grip the handle stiffly and about halfway down the handle. As a result, we lack power and accuracy and end up tentatively tapping the nail, usually off-centre and making a mess of everything..
The correct way to hold a hammer is to grip the handle comfortably but firmly near its end, and to swing it in much the same fashion as you might a tennis racket– a fluid motion where the hammer and the arm are one, delivering maximum force precisely to the head of the nail. An experienced carpenter can sink a four inch nail in just a few blows. The entire upper body, the eyes, and the mind, come together with efficiency, grace, and power.
But of course this concept applies to most of our life and our professional activities– far too often we come at them with bad form and no idea of the proper way to do things. With lawyers, for instance, there is masterful cross-examination and there is examination which is just cross.
So what is it that sets skilful professionals apart from the rest?
1. Most importantly, perfect execution really, really matters to them.
2. Before they start, they understand clearly where they want to end.
3. They understand the principles which inform their activity.
4. They work on technique so as to become efficient and effective.
5. They invest in the best tools and care for them meticulously.
6. They don’t waste time doing things with which they are not apt.
Unfortunately, most professionals are way too busy to think about how they do what they do. That’s a pity and a waste. In my experience, taking time to step away and think about skills and process is far more valuable than the usual content-driven professional development.
Happy to chat.
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