Robert H Myers

Your unlikely motivational speaker today is Walter Schulz. Don’t ask me how I got to him or this video. It was likely in pursuit of something silly to send to someone but what I found rocked me.

Walt Schulz (founder of Shannon Boat Co., a builder of boats) says far more than I think he intended to by answering a seemingly simple question; what makes a boat seaworthy?

I’d have said, you know, the ability of the craft to float. In the ocean. For a while. And that’s where I got it all turned around.

The prerequisite of a boat is the ability to float. If it doesn’t float we’re not even discussing it. So then what makes it seaworthy? The ability to stand up to waves and storms? Sure, but that too is a given for the category of seafaring crafts.

So what’s the best definition? How well it protects the life and vigor of the crew.

The most solidly constructed boat in the world is in big trouble if it wears out and beats up the crew assigned to run it.

“If all of this stuff is not exactly right it conspires to beat up the people on the boat and thus the boat is not seaworthy. You can put construction aside, completely aside, and focus on the ergonomics and the livability of the boat, which is very hard to do.”

Walter Schulz

A boat is only as seaworthy as its design allows for the protection and care of its crew. Good design lessens the fatigue put on the crew allowing them to endure more, for longer.

It’s hard to remember that the most complex and sensitive equipment involved in any enterprise is the human being. Machines are better at telling us when they’re stressed; they often come with gauges, guides, and recommended maintenance.

People aren’t great at their own maintenance which makes engineering their environments all the more important.

“When you get tired you don’t realize how tired you are, and they’re just starting to put this together with people driving automobiles (I don’t know what took them so long) but it’s the same thing on a boat. You start doing and making dumb decisions and bad mistakes. And I don’t care how well a boat is built, how well the deck is bolted on, what kind of nuclear pot lights you have. And it’s not just storms. It’s long trips. It can beat you up very very badly.”

Walter Schulz

There’s a valuable lesson here for business. If your systems, policies, and messaging wear out your team your ship is in trouble. If you spend all your time focused on the product and the marketing, you’re missing an awesome opportunity to ensure your team is rested, sharp, and capable of taking on whatever challenges come your way.

I’m a vocal supporter of keeping your operation humming at about 75-80% effort. That allows the team to take on surges for sustained periods without breaking down and making costly mistakes.

When was the last time you took a look at the finer points of your operation to ensure they reduced fatigue on your crew and helped keep them fresh and sharp?