If you have ever been part of an early stage start up with a founder or two with a great idea or two – just ask them – revolutionary, a real disrupter. “Don’t worry, the numbers will take care of themselves!” “What we really need now is …..” Inspect what you Expect. The details matter! The voyage heading south along the West Coast of South America, on our ship, had been day after day of smooth seas and sun filled days. As we came closer to going around Cape Horn the seas picked up … [Read more...]
Do You Have A Lookout?
If you have ever worked aboard a merchant ship you know about the responsibilities of the lookout. A lookout is a person most often stationed on the ship’s bridge who maintains a constant watch of the water to report any kind of hazard that can be an obstacle in the navigation and cause harm to the ship. According to COLREG, a lookout is required to give his uninterrupted attention at all times to the ship’s navigation in order to inform the officer on watch (OOW) about other ships, shipwrecks, … [Read more...]
How Well Do You Communicate?
What would others say? Like the people you work with... The people you live with? What would they say? When aboard a deep sea ocean going ship traveling internationally you will stop at a variety of ports. Each one having its own culture, architecture and language(s). When the ship first arrives at the port the first contacts are made with people from there. A majority of people initially helping the ship into and at the port speak English. This would be the Pilot, the Docking Pilot … [Read more...]
Are You A Plumber?
Here’s the thing – yes I have a toolbox and some tools – yes there are things I am able to do around the house, the car and even more. However one thing I’ve learned the hard way, more than once or twice, is when to stop and get a professional. This is where I found myself recently. Through a contact in my local area I was able to get the name of a plumber. A few weeks go by and magically the time and date arrive for the appointment and the plumber shows up. The plumber said you need an … [Read more...]
Do You Value The Double?
The use of pocket change and coins in the USA has really gone away. In fact there are people who walk by coins on the ground every day and they don’t even think about stopping and bending down to pick them up. Would you care if your one cent was doubled into two cents? Probably not so much. If it were fifty dollars doubled to one hundred dollars you would be happy about that one hundred dollars. My guess is if your annual salary was doubled this would make you ecstatic! Statistics in … [Read more...]
The Choice Is Yours
Yes, the choice is yours! This is good news and it gets even better. You may determine it is time to change course when you may decide to do so. The cautionary note here is think these choices through - be strategic - think of the big picture. When you think about the business you're in or starting out on a new venture what is your intention? Will this be a long lasting "I want to change the world!" impact you intend to have? Will you have a product or a service which is going to add … [Read more...]
