(Stamford, CT)- After the Stamford-Vineyard Race, it was quite clear an interesting discussion was taking place aboard the class-winning J/145 SWEET LORRAINE, owned by Mark Hansen from Larchmont YC. On board were a cast of characters, including J/109 STORM owner Rick Lyall, Quantum Sails Kerry Klingler, a J/42 and a J/100 owner and some other smart guys, including occasional sailor Albert Wenger. Albert Wenger graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in economics and computer science and holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology from MIT. He also occasionally sails, and based on his comparison of boating and business, we might all want to tune up our resume. Here's Albert's account of the race and some thoughtful perspectives on sailing, team-work and business management:
"Last Friday to Saturday I had the good fortune of being invited to crew on my friend Mark Hansen's boat Sweet Lorraine (a beautiful J-145) in the 2012 Vineyard race. The course starts near the Stamford Harbor, goes up to the Buzzard's Bay Light Tower and then returns south of Block Island all the way to Stamford for a total length of about 238 nautical miles.
The crew consisted of extremely experienced and successful sailors including several national/world champions in their respective boat classes. I on the other hand have very little race experience and even my total sailing experience was a tiny fraction of that of the rest of the crew. Everyone on board was super generous explaining things to me and being patient when I took a bit longer to get the hang of something or outright screwed up (e.g., over-trimming the spinnaker). As a result I learned a ton! I also really came to appreciate the many lessons about team work from sailing with such a great group.
First, it is tremendously useful to check your ego at the gate (the opening in the lifelines for getting aboard). Despite their tremendous individual accomplishments everyone did whatever was needed at the moment to help move the boat forward. On a boat that often includes cleanup, such as coiling lines so that they don't obstruct movement and also can run out easily when needed. High performing teams at work take a similar approach where every team member takes responsibility for the quality of the operation (and isn't above picking up trash in the office when that's needed).
Second, a clear division of labor makes everyone on the team effective. On a crew everyone has a position at any one time (positions may rotate). The responsibilities for each position are well defined. I have encountered many teams in the workplace where people were not sure what they should be working on which results either in duplication or in gaps with work that doesn't get done.
Third, communication is the lifeblood of a team. There is a nearly constant flow of information on the boat that enables team members to make the right local decisions. For instance at one point the wind was quite gusty and one team member announced incoming gusts letting both the helm and the sail trimmers adjust accordingly. I think too often in work teams there is an assumption that others have the information already when that's not in fact the case. -- Read on: http://continuations.com/post/30934037724/sailing-and-team-work
