The Sailboat Story- A Lesson in Navigating Your Business- Chapter Four

Using the analogy of a sailboat for creating insights into how businesses operate and how to plan your journey.

As we continue our journey, we will take a closer look at the resources on a sailboat as well as the crew members and consider the role each plays in a successful journey. And when we translate those resources and crew roles into your business, countless opportunities will appear for a more successful business.

Most of the photographs that I have been sharing in this blog series were taken when I was working for a client in Sidney, Australia. I was working with the country’s leadership team on strategic planning of resources to get the biggest bang for the bucks.

I managed to get some time off to sight-see and took a ferry to Manly Island, just off the coast of Sidney. The sailboats were all over the place and while enjoying the photos, I was inspired to create my sailboat analogy for understanding business.

As I looked closely at this particular photo, I saw this guy. His job is paying attention to how the wind is hitting the sails. Simply by looking at the sails, he can tell if the boat, the boom, the sails are positioned in the exact location to maximize the speed of the boat. Standing toward the front of the boat, stares at the sails . . and shouts their status back to the captain and the helmsman. He is all about efficiency. The reports that he conveys can make the difference in winning the race.

Unlike the tactician in the back of the boat, this guy is more in the thick of things, closer to the sails, closer to the crew doing the hard work. Is there someone in your business who is paying that much attention to your sales? Is someone paying attention to whether or not the engines that move your business forward are operating at maximum potential. And where is that person? Is he in the back office away from the action, or is he in the thick of things with a real eye to the details of your business. What adjustments need to be made to maximize the efficiency of your business?

Navigation Points

At the end of each installment of this ongoing blog, I will present key points that you should consider, contemplate and act on. Create a list of things you can take from the blog and put to work in your work

• Is your business operating at max potential? If not, how can you find potential areas for improvement

• Who in your organization is in the field and how do they communicate with you about the state of the business