Buying stuff versus learning how to use the old stuff properly.

I bought a new iPhone X not so long ago. The marketing worked.

With every Apple billboard I drove past I became more convinced that my photos weren’t quite good enough. Those majestic landscapes and funky city streetscapes sure are compelling.

I also gradually convinced myself it was a “work expense” and that having the latest gadgets was an investment in my productivity. I’m a busy man you see!

I bought the iPhoneX and synced it to the backup from my old phone. Hmm, you know it looks and performs pretty similarly. I’m not sure that my photos are really better … or that I’m taking more … or that my productivity was boosted.

Then I discovered a study by from the US by The National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce (EQW) comparing an increase in education spend in businesses with an increase in equipment spend.

They found that a 10% increase in education transferred to an 8.6% improvement in employee productivity compared to a 3.4% increase for upgraded equipment.

Translated, your people will get more done in less time and with less “stuff” if you educate them well than if you provide them with all the new toys and tools but fail to invest in their capacity.

It’s that simple. I didn’t need a new iPhone to become more productive. I just needed to invest in my capacity to use the old one better.

You live and learn, I suppose.