“The pessimist complains about the wind; The Optimist expects it to change; The realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward
At my company, we’ve spent the past few weeks training on becoming a better coach. This past Friday, I had an off-site planning meeting with my sales management team. The site of the meeting was the marina where I keep my 33-foot sailboat, the Peggy Lou (named after my mom).
The day started at about 9 am. We covered a lot of ground before we took a break for lunch around noon. At about 230 pm, we were nearing the end of the agenda. I had told my coworkers in advance that we would be going out for a sail at the end of the day. However, I withheld one key detail. As I said, we’ve been doing some training on becoming better coaches. Today, the coaches would become the players.
We made our way over to the boat. Once there, I put everyone’s name in a hat. Mike, one of the local sales managers, drew out a name. The name he drew was Tracy. Tracy’s official title at work is Director of Sales. Today, however, it would be Director of SAILS. He would be captain of the Peggy Lou. His crew would consist of Mike, who I just mentioned, and Mona. Mona is another Local Sales Manager. Unfortunately, our other Local Sales Manager, Mark, had some family duties to attend to. My role? Coach.
The agreement, if you want to call it that, was that I would coach the crew on everything they needed to do in order to safely and proficiently sail the boat. Their job was execution. By the way and before I forget, none of them knew how to sail.
I’ll not go step by step, but I did a 20-minute or so briefing on the boat, the systems, and the equipment they would use to sail. We also discussed what we’d do if we had a problem or an emergency. To set the tone for the cruise, I was wearing a red shirt that said, “No Help Is Coming. Expect To Self-Rescue”. With that, Mike fired up the engine and Tracy steered for open water.
Tracy and the crew did it all. They got us out of the marina without hitting anything, navigated the traffic in the channel, and positioned the boat perfectly for the sails to be raised. Once the sails were up, they shut down the engine and let the wind take over. The Peggy Lou is a racing boat with a very narrow beam. She heels, or leans over, very quickly when the wind fills her sails. Although I explained this “leaning over” to everyone back in the marina, it’s always a bit scary for folks who don’t sail.
The crew did a fantastic job of putting Peggy Lou perfectly into her lines. The wind was gusting and changing directions. This can create some tough sailing conditions. We didn’t have the sail fully up. It was on the first reef. Despite the shortened sail, we were consistently eclipsing 6 knots. I’m not sure how long we had been out, but at some point, I looked up and noticed a rip in my mainsail. Although this was no cause for alarm, we did need to get the sail down to prevent further damage. With gusting and shifting winds, the crew did a fantastic job of doing all that was necessary to secure the sails.
The trip back to port took about an hour. Docking a big sailboat is no easy feat. As I said, the wind was blowing and my slip is right by the seawall. If you make a mistake entering my slip, there are no do-overs. Tracy was on the tiller, and he glided the boat perfectly into the slip. It was not until the very last minute that I had to get involved just a little and give the tiller an extra push. I was super proud of the team. They did it!
On this day, everyone had a role in sailing the Peggy Lou. I had a terrific time watching each of them get on the tiller for the first time. With all three, the first had fear and anxiety. However, once they got the hang of it, the fear melted away. Isn’t that the way things go when we learn new things? Several times while we were out, I had to laugh. So, I would give instructions to one of them to do something, and then the other two would start correcting them and adding their input. It was funny because the reality was that I was the only one who really knew what to do. It was kind of like whenever you’re on a Zoom call in a big room with a bunch of people, and you can’t get your screen to share. Suddenly, everyone in the room starts barking instructions. In their defense, this was most likely caused by nervousness and self-preservation.
In the end, my hope is that being a “player’ for the day will help our team of sales leaders to become better coaches. I hope they remember what it felt like to be the player and all the pressures that accompany being taught something new. Lastly, I hope we all have a better understanding of the need to give people space to learn. Let me explain what I mean by “space to learn”. When I was learning to fly, my instructor was really good at giving me space to learn. He would tell me what to do, and then he’d give me time to process the instructions and execute the directive. It would go something like this here.
Instructor: Hey Chris. You hear that?
Chris: You mean the stall horn?
Instructor: Yup. You going to do something about that?
Chris: On it. (Chris does nothing)
Instructor: (Horn is getting louder) Chris, if we were at 4,000 feet we could practice a stall in a minute. We’re not. We’re at 600 feet turning from base to final. We’re about to practice a crash. Now would be a great time to push the nose down.
Now then, had I not pushed the nose down and gained some airspeed, my instructor would have taken command of the plane. What he did though, was he gave me as much time as he could, so that I could see, hear, process, solve, and eventually act on the situation. It takes time for people to learn. Another byproduct of giving space when you coach is it builds trust and confidence between the coach and the player. It also builds confidence and self-reliance in the student.
September will mark the 2nd anniversary of my sailing career. I enjoy sailing. It’s addictive. Like aviation, there are so many life lessons to be learned in sailing. I’ve assembled a list of those below.
If you’re reading this, know that you have an open invitation to come sailing with me any time. I’m serious. The other day, watching my coworker Mona go from being afraid to touch the tiller to one hour later steering the boat with command was an incredible feeling. Assisting others in stepping outside of their comfort zone is something that truly adds meaning to my life. In the end, isn’t that the goal? To find meaning?
Okay, enough talk and procrastinating. Time to get my miles in. I’ve got another marathon coming up this Saturday in Fort Worth. It’s a night marathon that begins at 10 pm. Since I regularly go to bed at 9 pm, this should be interesting.
As always, I hope you Live Your Life and Find Your Adventure. Oh, and here’s the list I promised.
· For the rudder to work and turn the boat, the boat must be moving.
· Every time the wind changes the sails must be adjusted.
· We are always at the mercy of the weather and sea conditions; Conditions you can’t control.
· Build a strong crew and your sailing will be easier.
· A sailing crew must know their job and work in tandem to stay safe and to maximize efficiency. Communication is key.
· There can only be one captain.
· Good captains know every job on the boat, and they lead by example.
· A good captain considers all input from the crew and then makes the best decision for all involved.
· Make sure your boat and equipment are sturdy enough to withstand the conditions in which you sail.
· A smooth sea never made a good sailor. Adversity is the pathway to growth.
· Always keep an eye on the weather and prepare BEFORE the storm hits.
· Be flexible. Trying to force something to happen, like a departure date and sailing in dangerous conditions, can be deadly.
· When things don’t go to plan, stay calm in rough water and stormy weather.
· The pathway to becoming a better sailor is making mistakes. Learn from and own the mistakes you make.
· Sometimes the wind doesn’t blow. That’s okay and part of sailing. Have patience.
· An accidental jibe results in the boom swinging wildly across the deck and injuring a crew member. Situational awareness is a must.
· Take the time to plan your route carefully. Running aground can cause your boat to sink.
· Keep your sheets (ropes/lines) organized and wrapped properly. This should be part of your system in sailing your boat. Systems and checklists are key and fundamental.
· People who don’t enjoy sailing or get seasick should stay on land. In the end, they will ruin the cruise for everyone.
· The course is rarely ever straight. When sailing to a destination that is directly in the wind, you must tack back and forth to reach your destination.
· Many times, there are multiple solutions to every problem on a boat. Choose carefully.
· Always have spares onboard and a backup plan. There are not a lot of resources available once you leave land.
· The further you have to sail, the more important it is to stay on course. A few degrees over 200 miles can make a big difference.
· Electronic navigation is great, but always carry a compass with paper navigation charts too just in case. You should know your location in relation to your destination at all times.
· Because you have limited resources while at sea, you better be good at improvisation.
· At some point you will have to take risks. This is where growth occurs. Don’t let fear paralyze you. To grow you must leave the safety of the harbor.
· Sailing requires dynamic decision-making. It’s chess, not checkers. There are lots of variables.
· When it comes to sailing, you will never know it all. You will always be a continuous student.
· A boat with a hull that is properly cleaned and maintained will sail fast. Friction of any type decreases speed.
· Never stop trying to solve the problem. As long as there is air in your lungs there is hope for survival.
· Enjoy the journey. After all, that’s the real point of sailing in the first place.