Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?: Olympic-winning Strategies for Everyday Success - Second Edition

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935), Seven Pillars of Wisdom

The language you use is a great indicator of whether your doors are open or closed. When you catch yourself using powerless language, challenge yourself to figure out fact from assumption.

at Will It Make The Boat Go Faster? we use special heart rate monitors that measure something called HRV – how the heart is resting between each beat – which is a key indicator of pressure.

We tend to judge our own commitment levels by our intentions and feelings, but we judge other people’s commitment levels by their behaviours. So, make it a level playing field by formulating team rules which clearly explain what people need to do or say to prove they have commitment.

What have you done recently that’s made you proud? •Brought in a project on time and budget? •Helped a team member get promoted? •Learnt to play a musical instrument? What have you done that’s given you a buzz? •Been on a superb night out? •Negotiated an awesome deal? •Given a presentation in front of a high-stakes audience? Whatever the experience

One of our clients, a bank, gave sales targets to their branches for certain insurance products. The staff ‘knew’ it was an impossible target and there was lots of legitimate chat about how it couldn’t be done, backed up with plenty of valid reasons. However! In one branch one employee not only achieved the target, he absolutely smashed it. Intrigu

We all have values, things we hold dear. What is on your list? Making a difference? Friendship? Creativity? Goals can translate these into something tangible in the world, and that is richly rewarding.

Ben: “Assume they – and you – know nothing. Take as much time as necessary to get a common understanding.” When there are changes in the team – or in the project, for that matter – discussion is essential. New team members need to understand where you’re up to; what the team ‘modus operandi’ is, so they follow the same way of working and fit in qui

Our attention is an incredibly powerful tool. When we focus our attention on a key variable (and remember this doesn’t mean beating ourselves up!) then our performance automatically improves and we identify what further support we need.