Fortunately, this is all the damage I suffered. Bumped head and bruised pride.
Last weekend I purchased a new chainsaw. This is a big boy saw – a Husqvarna 355 Rancher. Living on 32 acres, 26 of which are wooded means a chainsaw is a must-have. Even though I’m a city boy by birth, 5 years living in the country finds me pretty adept at felling trees and branches.
So it was with a bit of overconfidence I tackled some low-hanging branches with my new toy. It was cold out so I had on a wool cap to keep my bald head and ears warm. Things went well. I knocked down a few low branches and then went up higher. As I looked up at my next target, the sun caused me to squint. Then some sawdust dropped into my eye. I wasn’t wearing any goggles because real men don’t need them. Then things got a little crazy. The thick branch I was cutting snapped off early and dropped directly on top of my head. This not only stunned me but it pulled the wool cap right over my eyes. To compound the matter, I lost my balance since I was standing in amongst other branches I’d already cut. As I fell in slow motion, I tried to keep the running saw from touching me, but of course trying to keep it from hitting the dirt since that would mean I’d have to sharpen every tooth on that saw and that’s a big pain in the ass. I hit the ground in one smooth motion and cradled that saw, blade up, as if it were a football and I had just caught the winning score in the Superbowl.
But as I pulled the cap off my head and shut off the saw, I knew I’d fell victim to complacency. And, with a chainsaw, it could have killed.
As The Boss, you know how hard it is to get your department to run efficiently and get every employee focused and motivated. When you achieve that level of efficiency, the temptation is always there to take a break and just let it run. And you should.
But, never let yourself get complacent. There are too many moving parts. Be engaged and stay focused.
In the 1990 film Kindergarten Cop, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character is told by a colleague that“kindergarten is a bit like the ocean, you never want to turn your back on it.”
The same rule applies to you. As The Boss, your department and your team require your undivided attention. Don’t get complacent. Stay focused.