When we set a goal, the first question we usually ask ourselves is, "How do I achieve this?" Although the question seems logical at first, it turns out to be probably the worst question to ask. We ask this question throughout our lives because we are taught from a young age to rely only on ourselves. But what if we ask a different question? What if we ask, "Who can help me achieve this?"
Dan Sullivan, the gentleman I’m standing next to in the picture, created the concept of "Who Not How." He is the founder of Strategic Coach, one of the world's leading entrepreneurial coaching companies. As an entrepreneur striving for continuous growth, I became a member of Strategic Coach in 2022. Now in my second year in the program, I must admit I still have imposter syndrome, but I have had many great learnings. "Who Not How" is the concept that struck me the most.
Imagine you broke a tooth (I hope not). My guess is you wouldn't even think about HOW to fix broken tooth by yourself, and even Google and Chat GPT wouldn't help. You would reach out to WHO, a dentist, for help. This is an obvious example of "Who Not How" in real life.
Now let's downgrade required skills: You dropped your smartphone, and the screen is broken. There's a clear path to the HOW approach: search YouTube for “how-to” videos, find a shop, and buy or order the screen online. Then spend several hours frustrated doing the work, only to end up, most likely, with a repair of doubtful quality. Or, the WHO approach: find a repair shop where the work will be done in less than an hour and with decent quality. Unless electronics repairs are your passion, the choice is obvious. Needless to say, although the second option will cost you more, in the end, you will save hours of your precious time and your nerves. And once you properly value your time and health, the balance of the equation changes.
In these expamples it all seems so obvious. But we still we keep pushing ourselves so much into How, instead of looking for capable Whos?
In the superyacht industry, senior crew members like Captains, Chief Stewardesses, and Pursers are all high achievers. I know this from my own experience. Before becoming an entrepreneur and owner of a boutique superyacht concierge agency, I was a Captain myself. As high achievers, we want to put all our blood, sweat, and tears into proving our capability. But we can stretch ourselves as much as we want, only to recognize at the end that our capabilities have physical limits. That might even lead to exhaustion and burnout.
As a Captain, I had my team of truly capable WHOs - the crew. Deckhands who knew way better than me how to care for teak decks and make all inox parts brilliant all day long. Stewardesses who just handed me the list of cleaning products to be supplied so that the interior is impeccable for guests. Clearly, the larger the superyacht, the larger the number of necessary WHOs on board.
WHO not HOW became even more obvious when I shifted to a shore-based career and founded my superyacht concierge agency. It wasn’t me who did those emergency repairs of malfunctioning air conditioning units or generators. It wasn’t me who made splendid floristic arrangements or drove limousines for superyacht guests. Neither my team nor I were providing berths, giving permission to enter the port or customs clearance, or catering Michelin-starred meals. Running a yacht concierge agency became a business of continuously expanding our network of the right and highly capable WHOs able to deliver outstanding solutions.
At the end of the day, our team has become the right WHOs for superyacht Captains and crew. They don’t have to think about HOW to solve numerous issues and deliver the utmost guest experience onboard. For superyacht crew, we are the highly capable WHOs. We are the liaisons who connect the yacht crew with other Whos: the best-fit suppliers and experience providers so that the superyacht crew can focus on the only thing that matters onboard: bringing smiles to the owners' and guests' faces.
Hey Captain! We at Iberian Yacht Solutions - Locally Excellent Superyacht Experience look forward to becoming your WHO for tailored shore support. Whenever your superyacht visits a Spanish port, you can rely on us. Get in touch with us at info@iberianyachtsolutions.com.
Business partners and fellow entrepreneurs, if you are interested in learning more about the Strategic Coach program, visit the website (link in comments). Alternatively, email me at kris@iberianyachtsolutions.com for more information and an introduction.
Comments