Answers from ELIC
A monthly column dedicated to sharing solutions to those
perplexing queries submitted to the Computer Services support staff

Training

Q: I’d love to take training but I just don’t have time.
What should I do?

A: This reminds me of the story of young Lars Loegsvenjer.

A strapping young man, Lars began work at a logging camp where the lumberjacks were rewarded for their hard work. After meeting a daily quota of 50 trees, for every additional tree they cut down they received a handsome bonus.
Lars was strong and knew he’d have no problem exceeding the quota. And, sure enough, on the first day he easily cut down 55 trees … and received that generous bonus.
The next day, fueled by the monetary prize, Lars set out to beat the previous day’s record. But, much to his surprise, he only cut down 52 trees.
That night in bed, perplexed, he began revising his strategy. He’d start work half an hour earlier. He’d skip lunch. He’d shorten his breaks. He’d simply work harder!
On that third day, he stuck to his plan. Chips flew. The ax never left his hands. And at quitting time … his jaw dropped when he counted only 47 fallen trees. “How could this be?” thought Lars. In despair he went to his boss for advice.

“What am I doing wrong?” Lars asked.
“I don’t know,” replied his boss. “Have you been sharpening your ax?”
“Sharpen my ax?” cried Lars. “I don’t have time to sharpen my ax!”

And there lies the problem. Many of us find ourselves “too busy” to hone the skills necessary to do our job. We’re just too busy to sharpen our ax.

If your “ax” includes using a computer, please consider pursuing these available options:

• Call extension 3248, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, where a friendly and knowledgeable support tech can give you immediate answers, or where you can schedule one-on-one training.
• Drop in to ELIC (6900 building) Mondays 9:00 – 11:30 am or Thursdays 1:45 – 4:15 pm where a professional will work with you individually.
• Attend a class pertinent to your need. A schedule of classes is available at http://www.cuesta.edu/deptinfo/elic/trainingschedule.htm.