Tool verus Solutions- An Illustration

One of my previous posts discussed the difference between tools and solutions.  Again, there are the tools themselves. And there is the result of using these tools. I thought it would now be fun to illustrate this distinction. Understanding concepts is a completely different experience from seeing actual examples.

Pencils
Pencils are cheap. They are readily available. Most of us think of them as a tool for writing. But they can also be used for drawing too.

 Anyone can create this.

But what about something like this?












(image courtesy of jamesjean.com)

The Piano


Of course, the piano is considered an instrument, not a tool. But nonetheless, it is something that requires skill. 










Beginners start off learning simple tunes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. With practice and a sincere passion for music, it may be possible to sound more like this.



Social Media

There are countless examples beyond the ones I gave above. But I didn't want to let this post get too long.  The lesson is this.There's more to the advanced levels than just technical prowess. It takes imagination and inspiration to come up with results that make us go, "wow!"

Back in February, I wrote about a company called Threadless as an example of a social media campaign to learn from. They harness the power of collaboration with their customers to create products that sell.

And if you follow my tweets, you will also learn about other successful campaigns. Cultivating the intangible in an extraordinary way is how you get the most out of tools and instruments. It's an inner game.

With this said, I'd like to leave you with a quote by Spike Humor, a speaker, author and consultant.

"Great things come to great people who create great value."