Tools Versus Toys

by Andrew Hanelly on April 21, 2010

New inventions enter the marketplace on a daily basis.

The range of products is wide – from kitchen gadgets to exercise products to social media monitoring devices – but they all sing the same chorus:

“This product will change your life.”

And they’re probably right.

Incorporating a new product into your day-to-day routine will have an impact on your productivity. But it isn’t always the one intended by the manufacturer (or the strangely captivating dude in the infomercial). 

In the world of limited resources and unlimited expectations, being able to tell the difference between “tool” and “toy” is half the battle.

How do we do that? Think about what you’re trying to accomplish, and consider the following:

Tools are goal-oriented and outcome specific. They perform a task that would take longer — or be more difficult — to do in any other way.

Toys are recreational. You use them for fun when you’re looking to kill time or stop caring for a while.

A tool will provide function.
A toy will provide distraction.

A tool will help you progress.
A toy will delay progress.

A tool will produce results.
A toy will result in less production.

A tool will make work easier.
A toy will easily make life more work.

The next time you’re unwrapping that shiny object, look past the luster and ask yourself: is this truly a tool, or just another distraction?

Andrew Hanelly

Written by: Andrew Hanelly

Andrew is SVP, Strategy at McMurry/TMG and for one semester in college, was a sociology major. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.

  • http://sucktackular.com Sucktackular

    The iPad is a toy. Furthermore, it is a toy for children.

  • bill

    Great post. I also feel that in our industry if we’re not up on the latest “toys” and “gadgets” we run the risk of looking outdated. What’s frustrating is that even when we know a tool is actually a toy, but someone (like our BOSS) is convinced otherwise, we have to humor them and “play” with it while we should be doing real work.

  • http://katherinefaith.typepad.com/blog/ Kate Wilson

    While I agree with the statement that

    “Tools are goal-oriented and outcome specific. They perform a task that would take longer — or be more difficult — to do in any other way. Toys are recreational. You use them for fun when you’re looking to kill time or stop caring for a while.”

    I have to disagree that it is that black and white. Toys can be totally goal oriented if your goal is to enjoy life and spend some time relaxing and enjoying the moment which allows for greater creativity. It’s amazing how many times I have been playing with my “toy of choice”, my mountain bike, and the freeing up of my mind to enjoy the moment allowed me to solve a problem I had been working on within the confines of my computer/office for days.

    Don’t judge a book by it’s cover sometimes a toy is just a toy and sometimes it’s the key to unlock a whole lot more.

    – Just the viewpoint of a lover of toys and tools alike.

  • http://www.twitter.com/hanelly Andrew Hanelly

    @Sucktackular: I guess it depends on what you’re using it for. One man’s toy is another man’s treasure. Or something like that.

    @bill: I agree. But sometimes it just means that the challenge is in demonstrating why it may seem like a good idea, but it may not be aligned with your business goals. I know, easier said than done, but it’s part of the challenge.

    @Kate Wilson: Point taken. But it makes me wonder, does the fact that you are using your mountain bike to achieve a goal make it transform actually into a tool? Would it make sense then, that your creative tool kit includes a mountain bike, because it performs the function of removing you from the monotony of your work?

    There is some subjectivity here, I guess. I have a guitar that I like to play, but sometimes playing it allows my mind to wander and I come up with a good idea for a client. This subjectivity makes it hard to define what truly is a toy, and what may be a tool.

    For instance, paint may be a tool (perform the service of painting a room for a free) or a toy (creating art purely for pleasure), making it impossible to define in absolute terms.

    And, for the record, I believe that all work and no play makes me a dull person and don’t want to dismiss toys as useless. They have their place in my life and the world would be a worse place without them.

    It’s all good food for thought!

    Thanks for dropping by and leaving your comments!

  • hopeless

    i guess that means my exercise equipment counts as a toy :P

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