What's your most valuable tool?

I saw a neat video of someone asking a shop of mechanics what their most expensive tool was and thought it was an interesting concept.

Rather than asking what the most expensive tool is, what is your most valuable/expensive/favorite "tool" as any industry professional. Use this guideline loosely, let's keep it interesting.

An open mind and other open minds to bounce ideas between

My vocabulary for one, I was taught that it wasn't so much the crime that was committed, than it was what you wrote about the commision of the crime.

Writing ability. I guess vocabulary rolls into that.

A graph. Graphing raw data in a multi variate form is so powerful for any data situation.

Jen Kirley said:

Writing ability. I guess vocabulary rolls into that.

Click to expand...

Effective communication in general. Written, oral, presentation, facilitating a discussion.

Gift of gab and humor for another, I found it less painful if I got someone to laughing than fighting along side of a road on the way to the hoosegow.

Just to be weird, I will list an actual tool (although I will admit I agree with all the previous answers). I work in a small machine shop and being able to purchase an automatic CMM was the best tool. Everyone does their own inspection and after the initial "the CMM is wrong" conflicts, it is the most used tool in the inspection department (so much so, I will be getting a second one).

@Michael_M It's a loose guideline! Pretty interesting stuff here so far.

Randy hit it. The ability to foster relationships to be frank, direct but also not finger pointing and threatening. An open mind and solution oriented thinking.