The Seamanship of Business by Julianne Frank

Know Your Knots (and the “Nots”): Figure Out How To Make Your Business Secure

To be a good sailor I had to learn knots. Lots of them. Each of them had a purpose. In my struggle to learn the knot, I would often lose track of the actual purpose for the knot.

In one of my early sailing experiences, we were heading into a channel that was new to us. We knew we would be heading to a dock, but we had no idea which side of the boat would be landing against the dock. Fenders had to be out and secure, but I was not sure which knot was best. That’s when it dawned on me: the knot is known as the “clove hitch” was perfect for this situation. The clove hitch is a knot that secures something tightly but unwraps with relative ease. I knew I that if I had to quickly untie the knots, and move the fenders to the other side, the clove hitch was the perfect knot.

I’ve come to realize that the same principle often applies in business. You have to figure out how to make your business secure, but at the same time remain agile. Often, in the business world, you will be entering uncharted waters. You have to be thinking ahead. How might your expectations change as events unfold? If you have to quickly shift gears, what things can you do now to prepare, so that you won’t be scrambling at the last moment? What moves should you NOT make based on the possibility that you do NOT yet have all the information to make a final decision?

When you are taking your business to new places, ensure that you know the ‘nots’ and that when the information is finally at hand, you can adapt quickly.

Want to tie a Clove Hitch?: http://www.animatedknots.com/clovehalfhitches/index.php#Movie

Want to know more about making your business a success? Go to Julianne Frank Law

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