Read The Fine Manual – RTFM

Let me start by telling you a story of two woodcutters who were assigned the task of chopping down a tree of similar size. Unfortunately, both were given rusted axes and a fixed timeline to complete the task. The first woodcutter quickly rushed and began scraping the rust off his axe. He managed to get it done in short time. Once content he started chopping down the tree assigned to him. The second woodcutter took his time cleaning off the rust and washing the axe, then finally sat down to sharpen it. By the time he was done sharpening the axe, time had passed by and the first woodcutter was already ahead with his job. But the second woodcutter was unshaken and with his sharp and clean axe, began his task. The sharp axe went through the tree like a hot knife through butter, and much to everybody’s surprise, the second woodcutter managed to finish his job well before the first woodcutter.

The moral of this story applies not only to woodcutting but to every domain of work. To get technology implemented, we not only require the right tools but they also need to be reliable and in top shape. In Information Technology, information itself is the greatest tool. To implement technology we need to keep our information sharp, and the simplest way to achieve this is by READING. Put in the information at every available opportunity, with time it will automatically compartmentalize and refine itself.

From my personal experience, I have always found reading saving me in the toughest of work situations. At times, it has seemed to be daunting and futile, and the mind has prioritized other things above it, but sticking to the basics pays. Most importantly, information never gets wasted.

To wrap up, I’ll quote the famous words by Swami Unknownananda – Read The Fine Manual – RTFM.

Stanley Thomas