LISTEN TO EPISODE 

TACKING AND CHANGE

A sailboat can't sail directly into the wind, but sometimes, that's where it's got to go. And business is the same way, because every business faces headwinds.

In sailing, “change” is necessary, and it's called 'tacking'. When sailing against the wind, you have to avoid what's called the 'no sail zone'. That's when the sails go flat and there's no wind to propel you forward. The only wind is in your face.

Business can feel the same way!

So what does the sailboat captain do? They tack left and right, so they can set their sails to catch some crosswinds. They can't fight a headwind, but they can turn it into a crosswind and keep moving forward.

They ride that crosswind as long as they can before they tack the opposite way (so they don't get too far off course.)

When you're sailing upwind, you've got to “zigzag” your way forward. You're constantly changing course. You can't take a direct line, and business is the same way.

You keep changing course, but you never lose sight of your goal.

Tacking is a technical skill in sailing and in business, too. Because if you don't change, you're going to hit the business equivalent of a ‘no-sail zone’.

You've got to think like a sailboat captain. You're going to face headwinds as much as you enjoy tailwinds, and change is the only way forward.