I’m lucky enough to be able to go on many cruises. If you
follow realchimeracomms on Instagram, you’ll be able to see a selection of
photos from our working adventures around the world.
Recently it struck me that there is some correlation between
being on the high seas and our working lives ...
Stepping out of your
comfort zone
I’m claustrophobic. I never wanted to go on a cruise. I
couldn’t bear the thought of being encased in a large metal box on the high
seas. Being over thousands of feet of potentially treacherous water, miles from
anywhere, also frightened me. I’d always said I’d never do it.
Something life-altering happened, after which I decided to
live for the moment. I decided to try a cruise. I started with a short one. And the miraculous thing was
... as soon as I stepped on the ship, I felt at home. I’ve since done plenty of
cruises as it’s part work, part holiday. It’s a marvellous life and I love it.
I’ve been on many ships now including one where we were in
the middle of a ‘weather phenomenon’ and another with Force 10 gales. Of
course, it’s challenging and the sea can be kind to you or very brutal. Being
at the heart of Mother Nature is incredibly invigorating and you just have to
put your faith in fate.
If I hadn’t been determined to try it the first time, I
would never have known that I would come to love going on cruises, travelling
the world while working with clients, and seeing places I never thought I
would.
This has shown me how to take unchartered waters when it
comes to work situations. Just because it looks frightening, it doesn’t need to
be so. It’s amazing how good you feel after doing something you really didn’t
think you could.
The many benefits of
being reticent but doing it anyway
Business survival depends sometimes on taking that risk.
Being nimble, flexible and agile, and diversifying if necessary. If I’d carried
on doing exactly what I’d always done, I wouldn’t have discovered a whole world
of delight and wonder.
If you’re stuck in a rut, the courageous thing to do is ‘something
different’. If you’re scared of speaking in public, for example, the more you
practise and the more prepared you are, you really can step of your comfort
zone and do it anyway.
Take your blinkers away and upskill. Challenge yourself to
learn something new to benefit yourself and your business. Keep up-to-date with
new technology (which can be very scary) and open up new horizons.
Having a great crew
around you
Every efficient ship needs a great crew, working together as
a team. Seeing how every crew member on cruise ships is part of the whole,
believing in the very best customer service to look after their guests, as well
as how intricately the organisation of each ship works, is truly inspiring.
Getting the very best people around you for the benefit of
your business (team members, suppliers, contractors etc) goes a very long way
to ensuring you will be ship-shape and sea-worthy.
Happy sailing!
