Marty GauthierJust Asking

Field note

This is so cool! What are we fixing again?

A weekend chasing tools. And the question I should have asked first.

Marty Gauthier Updated

A weekend of tools

The question first

Warning (geeks only): avoid spending (another) weekend exploring shiny new tools.

The short version

Before you open another tab, name what happened the last time, what a better result would look like, and the smallest change worth trying. The three questions 

I should have stopped there.

I saw a post about a really innovative AI tool, BUT… I hadn’t tied it to a specific problem in my business yet. I should have skimmed it, understood the potential, and stopped there. Nope.

Good job, Martin.

I wanted to improve software we’ve been using for years. I explored APIs, automation platforms, open-source tools. Result: more questions, no plan. Exactly what I tell clients to avoid.

In your business, it might look like a vendor demo. Or a LinkedIn post about something shiny. And on Monday morning, the same file is stuck in the same place.

Improve it to do what, exactly?

Before opening another tab in Chrome, ask yourself:

  1. What happened the last time?

    Who needed what, and where did it slow down?

  2. What would a better result look like?

    An answer without three follow-ups? A job that can start without anyone calling you?

  3. What is the smallest change worth trying?

    Clearer information? A feature in a tool you already use?

In short, turn your curiosity toward the inside of your business instead of chasing 🐿️.

For example: a customer asks for an update. Someone opens three files, messages a colleague, answers later. The smallest change might be an agreed place to keep the status current.

Today

  1. A customer asks for an update
  2. Someone opens three files
  3. Messages a colleague
  4. Answers later

One change to try

  1. A customer asks for an update
  2. Someone checks the agreed place
  3. Answers
An illustration of the example above, not a client case.

Changing the work is work, too.

Learning, getting used to it, checking. Those hours count, even if they weren’t in the demo.

The gain has to pay for the change. A faster step isn’t much help if it leaves someone else with more to chase. Keep what helps, adjust what doesn’t, and drop what adds more work than it removes.

I still like discovering new tools. I just want a job for them before I give them my weekend.

Written by

Marty Gauthier

Marty GauthierOperations consulting and custom tools for owner-led businesses.

A little more about me

A good question is a place to start

How did this become your full-time job?

The chasing, the checking, the keeping-it-all-in-your-head. Probably not what you had in mind when you started. Let’s see what we can take off your plate.

  1. 1Write a few lines.A few words are enough to start. You don’t need a finished brief.
  2. 2I read it and reply personally by email.
  3. 3We find a time to talk from there.We agree on length and price before starting.

Or find me on LinkedIn 

Let’s talk about your business.

It comes straight to me. Plain words are fine.

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