Is That Even Safe?

“Over 215 nautical miles in a 32’ center console, in open water?” I asked, “Is that even safe?” Having recently completed a week operating in and around Key West, which included over 750 nautical miles of boating, I reflected on when I asked that very question a few years ago. Growing up around boating and spending just shy of 25 years in the Navy ship community, I’ve learned about safety, training, and what the Navy refers to as “risk management.” Not all risks can be mitigated—but many can.

When I did my own more careful assessment of the scenario to run a recreational boat over open water, I recognized that the risks are indeed manageable, and many are completely avoidable. The concepts of risk management are transferable and practical in business. See if you can identify some in your own situation.

Operating military equipment in a harsh environment involves risk. Leaving the safety of a protected harbor or shore involves risk. So, too, does running your business. You intuitively know this, but you may not be doing all you can to mitigate inherent risks. When you learn to manage risk, you extend the safe operating areas in which you can flourish and succeed. You also allow for many more opportunities to come before you and your people.

Sometimes, the belt and suspenders approach makes sense.

Life jackets

A no brainer and required by the USCG. One for each person on board. 

• Just like needing two forms of identification to satisfy employment rules, it’s a requirement and non-negotiable.

Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)

This is an enhancement to a lifejacket that allows an emergency distress satellite signal to be activated instantly. Press the button, and the USCG knows nearly instantaneously your exact location and what boat that beacon is associated with. The saying goes, “If you get in trouble and press that button, you’re probably going to be home for dinner.”

• What material or people do you have out in the wild that could be tracked and identified so precisely? Privacy issues aside for people after hours, do you know the status of “your fleet?” Even garbage trucks have locators on them.

Ditch Bag

This is a floatable bag that contains flares, portable light(s), small food packets, water, a hand-held GPS, foil space blankets, and more. It’s clunky, but it can save you and your passengers. It’s either the first or last thing you reach for in an emergency! The hand-held GPS has a very small screen but does let you know where you are and what direction you may be moving (wind and current take over in an emergency).

• Some entrepreneurs believe having a Plan B is the enemy of breakout success.  While this can be true, in matters where safety of life is involved, failure to have a Plan B (or Plan C) is irresponsible.

inReach®

This Garmin product is a two-way messaging device that allows text messaging and reporting of your track to those whom you make it available to. It also has an SOS button that will emit a signal similar to the PLB.  

• How do your people contact you in an emergency or a non-standard situation where they might want or need your counsel? Will they text or call you seeking input, or might they fail to recognize that their situation is worsening in the moment? 

Throwable Flotation Device

This can be a life ring or seat cushion. It’s always within quick reach so that if someone goes overboard, it’s the first thing you toss to them. It can save their life, save energy, and dramatically reduce panic. 

• Do you have a similar protocol in place when something goes wrong? It might be as simple as “call the boss” instructions. The idea is that the person in the field needs to know they are not alone and someone always has their back and will throw them a flotation device.

Sirius® Weather Module

A subscription service that puts high-quality NOAA products on your on-board screen(s) that can be overlaid with your digital chart: weather, radar loops beyond your own horizon (think TV-caliber national weather imagery), sea surface predictions (wave height, wind direction), and frontal movements. You can do a serious weather evaluation to see far in advance how you may need to adapt or abort your plan.

• I liken this to your engagement plan. So many business people use only their Rolodex and street smarts when what they need is a more structured plan. How do your people see beyond their horizon or their own (relatively) narrow network?

Equipment Maintenance

Deferred maintenance can be a killer. Preventive maintenance is the key to success. Replace the impeller, spark plug, fuel filter, etc., before they wear out or fail. Waiting for something to fail is a recipe for mission failure—it will fail at the worst possible time. Preventive maintenance costs money; deferred maintenance costs a lot more.

• “Three yards and a cloud of dust” was the famous Vince Lombardi strategy for winning. It’s basic blocking and tackling, taking a bit of the field with each play. There is no shortcut to maintenance—the same goes for your continuing education. If your team is still working from the same training and education posture they began with, their growth is suboptimal. Who demands and pays for continuing education in your company?

A Weather Window

NOAA weather predictions are pretty darn accurate. Not perfect, but close. It’s possible to assess a 7-10-day forecast to determine if the weather window supports your planned trip. If you can’t reasonably get there and back, you don’t go. You must have flexible schedules so that you aren’t pressured into making a bad decision to return in poor circumstances. That may mean cutting your trip short or staying a few days longer. Boating with a rigid schedule doesn’t work.

• Taking a good idea to the customer at the wrong time in the fiscal year or during the wrong fiscal year is the same as trying to operate outside a safe weather window. You will beat your head against the wall and are unlikely to be successful. Worse, you surrender credibility by revealing you don’t understand and didn’t take the time to learn.

A USCG Float Plan

This is a simple fill-in-the-blank pdf document. When filled in, it contains the basics about your boat and your intended trip. Registration numbers, beacon numbers, boat coloring, passenger status, food and fuel status, and contact information if you are overdue. This document is shared with someone who is interested in your welfare and who knows to contact the USCG if you are past your pre-set overdue time. “You will hear from me by 5 pm either in person or by text or phone call.”

• This is what compliance and insurance looks like. Things you put in place because they just make good sense and will likely never be called upon. But because they are in place, you know you have gone the extra mile to fully prepare and do all you could.

When traveling the world in a ship, the captain is surrounded by an expert team.

While the captain bears the burden of accountability for things that go right and wrong on the ship, there is plenty of help available, both on board and off-board. Your corporate situation is quite similar. The leader carries the burden, but the team around them can lighten that load considerably. Responsibility is forward-looking, and it makes accountability a lot easier to shoulder. What looks risky at first glance may actually be well within your reach. Dividing the responsibilities associated with planning and preparing contributes to risk mitigation for everyone and eases the weight of accountability (nothing removes the weight, it’s ever-present).

Mitigate your risks and see how your entire situation improves. Is your team adapting and reconfiguring along the way? Or are you rather dogmatic in doing it “my way,” with the team remaining static or even stagnant?

Join Kate Robb and myself in Orlando on January 17th, 2025, for a one-day intensive on capturing sales success from the very beginning. Learn proven strategies to outshine your competitors and achieve unprecedented results. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your sales approach! Learn more and register here.