Using the correct tool

Seth Godin talks about finding the right tool. The post reminds me of the old adage, when you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

When coming up with a solution to a problem, I start with the why. Why are we doing this? Do we need to? Is there something else we can do instead? If a solution still needs found, the next step is to find the simplest way. Sometimes that is a pencil and paper, sometimes it is a Google Forms. But, just because you can do a lot of tasks in Google Forms and a spreadsheet, that doesn’t mean that’s always the solution.

Every situation is different, and clever solutions require open minds.