not teaching,
still THINKING …
Amazed is our reaction to watching a professional crew take down a mature tree more than 40 feet tall in a neighboring yard. All in a mere half day’s work.
- One crew member in a bucket methodically touched every branch, cut it with a chainsaw, dropped it to the other workers below, then restarted the saw and repeated the motion. Every time. Branch by branch.
- Those on the ground picked up each branch and carried it through the backyard to their waiting trucks and chipper. Until every branch was gone.
- Then work started on the trunk. This time, a larger chainsaw dug into the tree in small sections, one at a time, from top to bottom. The worker in the bucket pushed each severed disk to the ground, where the rest of the crew members again carried each piece off to the trucks. Until there was nothing left.
What did we take away from this?
Context: The tree was diseased, sad as it was to see it go.
Process: A step-by-step approach defined the job.
Role: Each worker performed a specific task.
Pace: Together, workers maintained a steady rhythm and stayed in motion.
We are reminded — some things are just better left to the professionals.
(These two profs are no longer teaching at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, but we are still thinking.)