It's Not About the Tool, It's About the Workflow

Today’s topic is why you shouldn’t jump on the latest and greatest productivity tool, even if it’s better than what you’re using now.

Melvin was excited! As the Vice President of Inventory Management and Operational Systems Optimization of the Green Growing Things plant stores (he loves that title, even though there are only five employees total), he just purchased a magical headset that will let him use augmented reality to see inventory counts that look like they float above boxes of plant food. Melvin is in seventh heaven. No, I mean literally. The AR headset also lets him superimpose angels and clouds on everything he looks at. He may never return to the real world again.

Tools have an important place in our endless quest to work less and do more. Yet, you’ll notice that I rarely mention tools in the podcast. Because adopting a new tool might lead to increased productivity, followed by the complete collapse of your life, business, hopes, and dreams for the future. Instead of living a life of luxury with 24-carat gold toilets, you’ll end up in a gutter swigging down rat grot—not even rotgut, just rat grot.

That’s because what matters isn’t the tools you use; it’s how your overall workflow produces results. 

Have you ever listened closely to how people discuss their choice of smartphone? “Mine has more pixels than yours. Mine can last longer. Mine is bigger.” Yeah? Well, size doesn’t matter. What matters is what you do with it.

Workflow Matters

I use an iPhone. Do I believe the iPhone is the be-all-and-end-all? Nope. In fact, it has a lot of problems, and for the last few years, Apple has moved from being a visionary company to a company that’s coasting on brand, but isn’t actually doing anything particularly visionary or useful, unless you count the ability to have a poop emoji mimic your facial expressions. Oh, joy.

But almost all my business apps run on the Mac, the Macbook, and the iPhone. Work flows from machine to machine seamlessly. The purchase decision has shifted. It’s not about comparing an iPhone with other phones; it’s about my whole ecosystem. And right now, my ecosystem is super-productive. The iPhone may lag behind other phones, but the iPhone + Mac + MacBook combination far outstrips what I could accomplish with another phone.

When you’re trying a new tool, make sure it optimizes your overall workflow, and isn’t just a gadget that’s marginally better than some other gadget.

Changing Tools is Expensive

Melvin is so enamored with his new augmented reality inventory device that he decides to start using it for everything. Immediately. Of course, that means importing all of his inventory records from the old system to the new one. But never fear, he’s sure it’s worth the day or two it will take to do the transfer. Seven weeks later, he’s gotten 80% of the data transferred. Sure, it’s taken a wee bit longer than expected, but it’s worth it. I mean, c’mon—we’re talking Augmented Friggin Reality. Woo hoo!

But Melvin’s experience demonstrates what we rarely think about: changing tools is expensive. You need to learn the new tool, move your data from the old tool, and integrate the new tool into your habits. In many cases, switching is a big enough hassle that in the long run, it overwhelms the savings you would get from the switch.

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Before adopting a new tool, ask yourself seriously whether the advantages of the new tool are really worth the cost to switch.

Tools Don’t Last Forever—Especially New Ones

Wait…hold the presses! The company that makes the augmented reality headset proudly announce that they’ve been acquired by MickyFaceInstaAppleSoft, and they’re shutting the company down so they can work on important projects, like better surveillance and profiling of you, their product. Er, I mean, their customer. Their headset is being discontinued, effective immediately. The self-destruct codes have already been transmitted.

When you integrate a tool into your workflow, you’re making it an essential part of your ability to get things done.

You see, when you integrate a tool into your workflow, you’re making it an essential part of your ability to get things done. Kind of like grafting on a third arm to become 50% more productive. 

But, like third arms, tools don’t last forever. Some of them succeed, and become stable enough that you can count on them. Others fail, or get acquired and shut down. Still others develop gangrene and may need to be amputated. And when they go away, your critical workflows just might go with them.

Before you adopt a tool, make sure there’s a way to get your data out of the tool if it gets discontinued, and think through how you’ll get back up and running in that event.

Backup Backup Backup

Which reminds me…make backups of the data you store in the cloud. Last week I was working on a project using a cloud service that lets me share files across several devices. The cloud server’s automatic scan program erroneously decided my files violated their terms of service in some completely unspecified way. So they automatically shut off my account, with no notice, leaving me suddenly without access to about 1Tb of video files I was actively working on.

Ask if the advantages are worth the switching cost.

Just as Melvin’s headset is starting to spark and emit a decidedly unpleasant burning smell, your cloud service could cut you off without warning, with no clear way to restore your data. In my case, they restored my account after eight hours of calls to tech support. But if they hadn’t, I would have lost everything.

Don’t trust the cloud. Make backups of everything.

Melvin just started firing up his old inventory system, and now gets to start all over, re-entering current data into his old system. With just another 3–4 weeks of long days and work weekends, he might be able to get back to where he started.

Tools are fun! Tools are awesome! Tools are sometimes toys! But use new tools with care. Don’t judge them in isolation; make sure they improve your entire workflow. Evaluate their cost including the cost of adoption. Be sure that you can get your data back out of the tool. And make backups. 

I’m Stever Robbins. Follow GetItDoneGuy on Twitter and Facebook. Want great keynote speeches on productivity, Living an Extraordinary Life, or entrepreneurship? Hire me! Find me at http://SteverRobbins.com. 

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