What I would like to share with you this week is a
concept that, if applied, could be game changing for your business and, indeed,
your life.
After 9 years of rowing and with no medals to show
for it, Ben Hunt Davies and the other members of the GB Men’s 8 rowing team
decided that to be successful things needed to change.
The year was 1998 and in two years’ time they would
have the opportunity to achieve a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics.
They had, like all great athletes, set goals in the
past, but sadly not achieved them. So what was the problem? After a lot of soul
searching they realised it came down to the fact that they were thinking like
eight individuals and not like a team. They were focused on themselves.
They realised they needed was a single point of
focus and a way of keeping that focus. Their vision was of course a gold medal
at the Sydney Olympics. The question they now needed to ask themselves was “how
can we make sure everything we do on a day to day basis over the next two years
will help us achieve our vision?”
Their decision was to create a team culture that
would be led by a single question, “Will it make the boat go faster?” Every
decision they would make over the coming two years would have to answer that
question. They had themselves a thematic goal.
One really important word here is ‘culture’. Did a
team of eight rowers have any egos? Of
course they did, and that was considered to be necessary. What wasn’t allowed
was for the egos to get into the boat. In other words, before anybody gets in
the boat make sure you leave your ego on the jetty.
The team realised that their behaviours towards each
other would be key to changing their outcomes and they needed to foster a
culture of trust, respect and honesty. Everything they did in their lives would
now be focused on that one question, “Will it make the boat go faster?”
To give you an idea of how this worked, here are
some examples:
If one of the team were to wake up in the morning, look
out of the window and see snow and ice on the ground they had a decision to
make, get back into that nice warm bed or get dressed and get down to the
freezing cold river for some gruelling training. Will getting into bed make the
boat go faster? No, so off they went to training.
A friend invites them out for a couple of pints and
meal. Will it make the boat go faster? No, so they don’t go.
A night in watching the TV or hit the gym; which
will make the boat go faster?
The result of course was that in Sydney they
achieved their goal/vison of a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. Was it easy?
No, but they had a vision and the drive, ambition, determination, discipline, and
knowledge that if every decision they made would make the boat go faster they
would be able to produce the necessary performance on the day.
Along with Harriet Beveridge, Ben Hunt-Davies has
since written the brilliant and aptly titled book, ‘Will it Make the Boat go
Faster?’ I highly recommend it
.
What has this got to do with business? Everything!
The question is “What’s your boat?” What is your thematic goal? What one question
could you be asking every minute of every day in your business that will move
you towards your goals/vision?
It could be you have a sales goal, a customer service
goal, a production goal, a time management goal, a profit goal. What is the
question you need to be asking to ensure the actions you take are moving you
towards that goal?
After giving the book to one of my clients he set a
question for his business that was focused on doubling the business in just one
year. I’m happy to report that he easily surpassed that goal!
This year he has set another thematic goal, taking
his company from good to great and this will mean that for all the people in
his business their thinking and decision making is focused on the question;
“will this take us to greatness?”
The shift in thinking will also lead to other
questions for instance:
What do great team meetings look like?
What does great customer service look like?
What does a great P&L look like?
What does great time management look like?
What does a great team member look like?
What do great leader’s look like?
What do great systems look like?
What does great marketing look like?
What does a great sales system look like?
In everything they do they will be thinking at far
higher level than they have ever thought before.
They have set themselves some really ambitious
targets this year, but I would bet my right arm on them achieving them.
If this business can do it why not yours?
If you want to achieve more in 2016 than you ever
thought possible, spend this week asking yourself the question, “What is my
boat?” and then “How do I make it go faster?”
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