Sharpen the Axe…and Increase Your Microsoft Dynamics GP Productivity

‘If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.' - Abraham Lincoln

That's a great quote, isn't it?  Unfortunately, it's the opposite of what many people do. When they have a project to work on, most people just work on it directly with little or no preparation. However, highly productive people prepare things well in advance, allowing them to outperform those with little or no preparation. They accomplish the job in less time and with less stress. That's called working smart.

Here's a story to illustrate the point:

John, a woodcutter, worked for a Company for five years but never got a raise.  The Company hired Bill and within a year he got a promotion.  This caused resentment in John so he went to talk to his Boss about it.  The Boss said "You are still cutting the same number of trees you were cutting five years ago.  We are a results-oriented Company and would be happy to give you a raise if your productivity goes up".

John went back and started swinging harder and putting in longer hours but he still wasn't able to cut more trees.  He went back to his Boss and explained his dilemma.  The Boss asked John to go talk to Bill.  "Maybe there's something Bill knows that you and I don't".

John asked Bill how he cut more trees.  Bill answered, "After every tree I cut, I take a break for 2 minutes to sharpen my axe.  When was the last time you sharpened your axe?".

The question hit John like a bullet.  He had his answer.