Cut Once, so Measure Twice!
During my carpentry apprenticeship years, I heard the phrase so many as it was repeated to us (the newly hired or apprentices), “cut once, so measure twice.” When you heard something repeat and repeat so many times, it becomes annoying, but it becomes part of you. In my first year as an carpentry apprentice, I remembered getting into trouble because of assumption. I ended up wasting time and wasting materials as well. When I was in school assumption was accepted in mathematics and science, but I learned that not in the field of construction where “cut once, measure twice” is a golden rule.
Dr. Daniel Kahneman in his book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” has explained how our mind influences our critical thinking and problem-solving. As Dr. Kahneman emphasized his point by the two systems – which he named system 1 and system 2, I see myself as person or a leader that most often relied on the system 1. I often acted intuitively and so sudden that sometimes I regretted what I had said. I felt that my mouth should have waited for my thinking, which is what the system 2 has referred to by Dr. Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow, 2011).
As an individual and as a leader, what is the takeaway? Should we aspire to master one system over the other? Or should we work toward improvement within both systems? Well, as leaders, we have responsibility toward leading the followers to the intended objective or toward the shared goal.
When I think of the system 1, I think of impromptu responses; though they may be two different concepts, I believe that impromptu responses is an essential skill that any leader should possess. Judith Humphrey, in her book, “Impromptu: Leading in the Moments,” point out that leaders should possess the skills to “think on their feet” and to “respond eloquently” in every situation. They must be able to attentively listen, process it and then respond immediately. She continued by pointing out that to develop this skill (impromptu), one must be prepared for spontaneity. (Humphrey, 2017).
While system 1 is mainly fast responding without much calculation or reasoning, we can still train ourselves to quick response with reasonable answer. “In the face of rapid transformation and increasing uncertainty, the ability to improvise has become more important than ever. But what does it take to develop improvisational skills? ().” This is a portion of a brief summary of an article in the Harvard Business Review titled, “Improvisation Takes Practice,” by Mannucci, Orazi, and Valck. Resulting from their observations, three types of improvisations were identified: imitative, reactive and generative. These three occurred sequentially (Mannucci et al, 2021).
The practical meaning of “cut once, measure twice,” is basically preparedness, which is the golden rule I heard a lot in my earlier years. I brought that up because I believe we can improve ourselves in what is called “system 1” through preparedness and adaptability, especially in our leadership roles. As Mr. Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Training our systems to work as one would be training our mind to work as one unit since they are one.
Reference:
Kahneman, D. (2011). “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” New York, NY. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Humphrey, J. (2017). “Impromptu: Leading in the Moment.” Hoboken, NJ. Wiley.
Mannucci, P.V., Orazi, D.C., & Valck, K. (2021, March 11). “Improvisation Takes Practice.” Harvard Business Review.
About the Author
Noel Liemam
4 responses to “Cut Once, so Measure Twice!”
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Hi Noel,
I enjoyed your story about, “cut once, so measure twice “and your insight, “I felt that my mouth should have waited for my thinking,” I have had the same thought many times. Preparedness and improving our skills with both System 1 and System 2 are good take-aways from our reading. What helps you prepare? How do you improvise or give yourself space to slow down in those System 1 moments when quick responses are the norm? Thank you for your post!
Good morning, Ms. Dooley, I have not tried any of them yet. However, I plan is to slow down and think about it before I give answer or make up my mind. The other way is to have some templates. Thanks again for your comment.
Hi Mr. Noel! Thank for your post.
I wonder, does it seem that the principle of “cut once, measure twice” that you mentioned can be classified in Kahneman’s S2 of the human way of thinking because it emphasizes how to ensure that the cutting action is really correct? Or is that principle more S1 because it trains one’s fluency in doing something repeatedly and at the same time accurately?
Good morning, mr. Dinka. I was referring that to preparedness. In my opinion to be prepared is to slow down think about or to have templates for quick answers. Thank you, Mr. Dinka for your comments.