Be Bold, Start Cold

My father was a carpenter. He always said that having the right tools is half the work done. The same is true for hiking. Having the right equipment and clothes is important. I am not saying you already hiked half the trail with the right clothes and equipment, but it will definitely make a difference.

Regarding clothes, there are two sayings that I would like to share with you: Be bold, start cold, and there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.

I like to hike in Scotland, or any other place where it is not too warm. Most people want to be warm when they go out. That makes sense, of course. However, when you go on a hike, it is different. You will be active, have a good pace, and go up (and down) hills. This will create body heat; it will get you warm. When you go out and are already feeling warm, you can be sure you will feel too warm during your hike. Start cold, and trust you will get warm on the trail. Don't overdress when leaving for a hike, and dress in layers. A base layer, mid layer, and top layer. Here is a good blog post where you can read more about layering.

I have walked in heat, rain, hail, snow, and also no precipitation. I don't mind walking in the rain. It has something mystical. But I do want to keep my body dry. It is important to take good clothes with you when you walk in the mountains to be prepared for any weather. Good clothes for me is, always a hardshell jacket, and depending on the season, also rain pants. This will protect me from rain, snow, or hail. I also often take a cap with me. This will protect me from the sun. Having the sun all day can be as bad for your health as having rain all day. I always wear a buff; I have one for cold weather and one for hot weather. I like to protect my neck from the sun, wind, or the cold. As I hike a lot, I invest in my clothes. Also, I want it to be as lightweight as possible—the less weight, the higher the price. If you are not a frequent hiker like me, Decathlon will do. You get good quality for the price you have to pay. Investing in good clothes will pay off if you really want to go on more frequent and longer hikes.

How does this relate to your role as manager and leader?

Your teams need tools, processes, and software to do their jobs. Depending on your organization, you may need to ask for permission to buy one or more of these. In some organizations, procurement or other companies will always challenge what you want to buy. It is your role to challenge the challenge.

I am not saying you should buy anything the team asks for. I believe everyone is allowed to challenge people in an organization. Do you really need this box with 50 Neuland markers, or would a box with five Neuland markers also do?

However, sometimes, not buying what the team is asking for is not the best thing to do. We all have been there, using sticky notes from a brand no one has ever heard of. As a result, you have to use scotch to make sure the sticky notes don't fall on the ground every day. I believe that not giving the tools a team is asking for is often a wrong decision. Cheap is often expensive. Giving the team cheap tools does not respect their professional attitude. It will make them grumpy and make it harder for them to do the job.