Don’t Let Tools Drive the Strategy

(photo credit Will Scullin) 

When I listen to people discussing different strategies for their businesses, like podcasting, video blogging, generating site traffic, etc. it doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to the tools we use to do these different things. 

• What microphone is best for recording a podcast?
• What video editing software should I use?
• Which ESP is the best?
• Do different site themes work better than others?

Now these are all important questions to ask when you are in full blown implementation mode, but until you’ve reached the point where you have something to record, something to edit, a newsletter to distribute, or content for your site, you are putting the proverbial cart before the horse.  There has to be a lot of pie-in-sky planning and idea generation before we can get down to brass tacks.

In the excitement to get going, it is much easier to focus on the tools we can use.  I’ve lost hours of productivity researching tools that I think I may use in the future.  What this does is cause a kind of analysis paralysis. The more I learn, the more I agonize if I’m making the right decision.  “Tool A over here has feature x,y, and z, but Tool B over there has benefit s and t which seem really useful.”  Then I get stuck.

I’m stuck because I’m operating under a flawed assumption that in order to bring my idea to life, I need to know exactly what tool is best to distribute it.  This has the exact opposite affect: it stifles my creativity.  Worse yet, if I start creating something to work within the  framework of a tool, I have unconsciously established limits that may cause further issues down the road.

This is where things start getting a bit uncomfortable.  You have to give yourself mental permission and approval that when the time is right You Will Figure It Out.  You are smart and resourceful, and you have the ability to ask for help (or hire it) when the time is right.  Until then you need to focus on what is important: your strategy.

• What are you using these tools for?
• How will they help you engage/inform/incent/motivate?
• Do you have the requisite content (or product) ready to go?
• Do you know how you will measure the success of this idea?

Your strategy is the cement of your foundation.  Once you have that ready, you can utilize any tool that fits the framework of your creation as opposed to the other way around.  The tools will always be there.  Don’t limit yourself by choosing them before your strategy.

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Comments

[Julius]

I believe it's hard to always find the right tools. I mean yes it would be nice to have the best tool right away but you simply can't. That's the way life is.

[Christy Smith]

Thanks for the comment Julius! I agree that finding the right tool out of the gate can be a challenge, but it's always a process. You have to make an educated guess based on what you know, and then make edits/changes as more information becomes available.