Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? A Question That Could Change Your Business

There’s a story I often come back to when I’m talking to clients about focus, priorities and performance. It comes from Olympic rower Ben Hunt-Davis and his crew, who famously turned their team’s fortunes around by asking one simple question about every choice they made: Will it make the boat go faster? It became their guiding principle. Whether it was their training plan, their diet, or even how much sleep they got, they asked that question. If the answer was yes, they did it. If it wasn’t, they didn’t. And in 2000, they won gold in Sydney.

Simple. Relentless. Effective.

It’s a principle that works just as well outside of elite sport. In fact, I’d argue that it’s one of the most powerful questions any small business can ask - especially when it comes to marketing and communications.

What does your version of “the boat” look like?

In business, “the boat” could be anything. It might be increasing sales. Growing your customer base. Building a more visible brand. Retaining great people. Whatever success looks like for you, the trick is to get your story straight - be crystal clear on it. Because once you’ve defined what faster means in your context, you can start filtering everything through that lens. You’re not just doing stuff because you’ve always done it. You’re not ticking boxes or chasing trends. You’re making smart, deliberate decisions that move you closer to your goal.

Internal communication - the overlooked engine room

One of the places I see businesses lose speed is inside their own four walls. They’re so busy trying to get their message out to customers that they forget about the people who are meant to deliver that message. The ones answering the phones, packing the orders, greeting the guests. If we've spoken, or if you've read any of my Inside Out content, you’ll know I bang this drum often – because it matters. Building a brand from the inside out isn’t just a nice idea. It’s your secret weapon. So here’s a challenge. The next time you’re writing a newsletter, planning a social post or booking in a new initiative, ask yourself: Will it make the boat go faster? If your team doesn’t understand the ‘why’ behind what you’re doing, if they’re not connected to the brand or confident in the direction, it shows. Not just in performance, but in the energy they bring. And your customers feel that.

Saying no to good ideas

One of the hardest things about using the “boat” question is that it sometimes means saying no to things that are perfectly good, fun ideas, exciting opportunities, even old habits that feel comfortable but no longer serve you. We used this approach often with our management team at MOOCH, the small chain of award-winning gift shops we built from scratch (I might share the full MOOCH story soon). Our team was full of energy and brilliant ideas, and we needed a simple tool to help them prioritise their time and focus. The “boat” question became a surprisingly powerful decision-making compass.

When I work with clients, we often spend a lot of time identifying the things that are just okay – the things that might be eating time, budget or energy without really moving the dial. It’s not always easy to let them go. But once you do, you create space for the things that really matter. The ones that will make your version of the boat go faster. It's a question worth repeating

So, whether you’re launching a new campaign, reviewing your team meetings, or tweaking your website, try it. Ask the question. Does this move us closer to where we want to be? Will it make the boat go faster?

And if it doesn’t, maybe it’s time to change tack.

RR