In our fast-paced world of business today, there are countless strategies, theories and frameworks. There is no shortage of possibilities, but these can also be shiny objects that lead us down a rabbit hole with not much to show for it other than time wasted and additional layers of complexity to deal with.

A useful metaphor to “cut the fluff” and focus on what matters is “Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?” which has its roots in an inspiring story from the world of rowing.

Back in 2000, the British rowing team faced a monumental challenge. They were preparing for the Sydney Olympics, and their goal was clear: to win the gold medal. But they needed something more than aspirations, talent and determination. They needed a unifying principle that would guide their every decision and keep them focused on the end game.

Enter Ben Hunt-Davis, a member of the rowing team. He posed a simple question to his teammates: “Will it make the boat go faster?” This question became their North Star. Every training session, every dietary choice, every recovery method—they evaluated everything against this criterion.

If an action didn’t contribute directly to making the boat go faster, it was discarded.

Great Britain won the gold medal in the men’s eight for the first time since 1912, beating Australia by four fifths of a second.

The lessons from this win were clear:

Focus on What Matters with Clarity of Purpose

• High-performing teams understand that time and energy are precious resources
• Everyone must be clear on a simple definition of the goal and “in the same boat”
• Actions that directly impact the single most important goal are first priority
• Each task, project, or initiative should be questioned or challenged and have a clear answer to “Will it make the boat go faster?”

Eliminate Distractions

• If it is not making the boat go faster, it is a distraction
• Reduce, delegate or eliminate unnecessary meetings, non-essential tasks or clunky ineffective time-consuming processes
• Identify the highest value activities and do them consistently well as non-negotiable

Create a High Performing Collaborative Team

• Just as rowing is a team sport with each rower’s stroke contributing to the boat’s speed – so too are high performing teams
• Individual team members should work in their strengths and fully understand how their role fits into the bigger picture for a successful team result
• The power of the team is in its ability to be in sync with each other where all members are embracing the best processes and behaviours together – if one person is out of sequence the whole performance is impacted

Innovate, Adapt and Explore Better Ways

• The British rowing team didn’t stick to old methods. They actively sought options, experimented, assessed, adjusted, and innovated
• Business teams must be agile – and not just rest on what has worked in the past
• Embrace change, learn from failures, and adapt strategies as needed

Track results and celebrate progress

• By chunking down the end goal into small steps, measuring results and mastering each piece of the process the team was able to improve in micro stages that combined to achieve the final outcome
• The rowers celebrated small victories – faster times, improved techniques – as steps toward their ultimate goal
• By celebrating milestones and progress in the micro stage, your team can see progress which fuels motivation and keeps everyone aligned

“Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?” isn’t just a question; it’s a mindset. It reminds us to focus on purposeful actions, eliminate distractions, collaborate effectively, and adapt. So, whether you’re rowing toward Olympic gold or steering your business to success, ask yourself: “Will it make the boat go faster?”

Remember, success lies not only in the destination but also in the journey itself which is made up of multiple micro steps that are cohesively executed by your high performing team.

At Shine Executive, we love supporting organisations to create a high-performance culture by bringing out the best in their people.

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High Performing Teams | Leadership | Sales Training | EQ & Neuroscience | Financial Services Sales & Service | DISC Personality Profiles | Five Behaviours of Cohesive Teams | Positive Psychology | GROWTH Coaching

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