Business isn't like plain sailing: performance in a world of surprises

Today’s world is more dynamic and unpredictable than ever. Change and instabilities have always existed. However, the last few years have seen their speed, frequency and range significantly increase.

To thrive in such a setting requires to develop a mindset for which ocean racing offers a perfect training ground. Let us see why and how.

Business management has long relied upon predictive scenarios, strategies, plans and processes to stay on course, avoid surprises, limit change and risks.

But, the intense competition fuelled by recent technology developments has created disruptions, evolutions or revolutions in virtually all market sectors, requiring corporations to rethink and adap to a world, where surprises have become the norm.

Strategies, risk management, robust delivery plans and processes are still required. What is different though is the way and attitude with which they are used.

This attitude is characterised by the acceptance that surprises cannot be avoided and a view that opportunities can use them as levers to achieve their intent.

What is central to success in this context is the capacity for organisations to create options and to develop a sound understanding of the value underlying the decisions taken about them, ensuring that short-term responses to events outside of their control are aligned with their longer-term objectives.

These considerations boil down to making repeated investment-like decisions, based on value, in reaction to what competitors vying for the same objective are doing and to changes in the operating environment, by playing on what is in their control to make the best of what is outside of their control.

Resilience, agility, collective intelligence, a risk-based approach are the skills required to define the optimal balance between value, risks and scope.

The above also characterises the challenges faced by teams taking part in ocean races. For them, time is value. Time to get their boat race-ready before the race and the time it takes them to get to the finish line during the race.

From the start of their project, they need to consider how they will generate most value to win the race, being up against unstable weather patterns and unpredictable competitors.

Before the race, they need to create options to deal with events and situations happening during the race, through the design of the boat. During the race, they will need to react to surprises, by having a clear set of criteria to weigh off options against each other and make decisions based on them.

A clear picture of what drives value, the associated options and their link to risks form the basis of their competitiveness and are the basis of corporate competitiveness in complex and dynamic environments too.

Therefore, ALL4ONE consulting has developed a unique immersive approach to grow these competitive skills by transposing the challenges faced by businesses in today’s volatile context, in offshore sailing races.

The ALL4ONE TROPHY is “serious game”, where the preparation and participation in a sailing race around the world forms the backdrop for a value creation scenario. Design thinking, lean start-up and team efficiency value levers are explored, before being combined in the game, to augment the competitiveness experience.

By experiencing and adopting the attitudes and behaviours making offshore racing teams successful they acquire the competitive mindset, which will help their organisation be successful in a world of surprises.

Doing business is not like plain sailing, navigate your way through the unexpected with the ALL4ONE TROPHY.

For more info or a free demo, contact [email protected]