The Boats You Don’t Notice

I was sitting in a harbour recently waiting for the tide - Nothing unusual about that. The harbour was full of boats, most of them looking much as you'd expect. Some new, some old, some clearly loved more than others.

As people walked along the pontoon I found myself watching what they looked at. Most people's eyes went straight to the biggest boats. The newest, most expensive ones - the ones that stood out.

Mine didn't. I found myself looking at a rather scruffy old boat tucked away at the far end. It was nothing special to look at, you know, a bit tired in places and not the sort of boat that would stop anyone in their tracks. But there were clues everywhere that somebody really knew it. Extra cleats in sensible places, a cockpit that had clearly been adapted over time. The small improvements that only make sense after you've spent years solving real problems rather than reading about them.

It made me smile because I think businesses can be a bit like that. The things that catch our attention aren't always the things that matter most.

Turnover.

Headcount.

Fancy offices.

Big announcements.

They all have their place, but when you spend enough time around businesses you start noticing different things. You notice how decisions get made or whether people trust each other, and you notice if problems are dealt with or simply moved around. You notice whether the business feels comfortable in its own skin.

None of those things are particularly exciting or make good headlines, but they often tell you more about where a business is heading than the numbers on a management report.

Perhaps that's why the boats I find most interesting are rarely the ones everybody else is looking at.