Forget Strategy. Get Results

Example chapter extract

I wanted to create an experience that would help the team convert their fearfulness into fearlessness, something that would instil fear in them but then show them that their fear was unfounded.

“We went off to swim with sharks. Face to face with an icon of danger. This would be confronting fear by being thrown in at the deep end.”

We had, as we still do, a regular management meeting away from the office. On this occasion I booked us into a hotel in Edinburgh: we had a strategy meeting, talked about the future, and the likely merger, and visited a local whisky museum. Then one afternoon I took them out towards the Forth Bridge, where the minibus turned into the Deep Sea World car park.

Everyone was relaxed, if somewhat puzzled. The first inkling they had of what I had in mind was when each of them were asked for their wetsuit sizes. I wasn’t letting them in on anything. With the suits on, we all had breathing apparatus training. Already there was apprehension in the ranks.