The Helm is the locus of leadership. This is the center of all decision-making in your company. This is where you, as the Captain, preside over the fate of the ship. Orders must emanate clearly and intelligence relied back in order for the vessel to arrive at her destination on time and in good shape.

The Hull is the body of the ship. In your organization, this represents you and your team and the culture you synergistically create. All other parts of the ship are irrelevant if the hull is breached or in disrepair. Without a strong hull, the ship will sink. Without a well designed team with a winning culture, the will business fail.

The Sails are what give your ship its primary thrust and forward motion. Likewise, without sales, no organization can succeed for long. The locomotion of your vessel depends on the quality of the construction of the sails, their design and ease of use, their predictability and their responsiveness. At the heart of every business lies a profit center. At the center of every profit center is sales.

The Oars are what keep your ship moving when the wind unexpectedly changes direction. An organization that wants sustainable success must have revenue systems in place to keep things moving forward and protect against unexpected changes that occur in the market (sea).

The Keel is what keeps your ship from tipping over and increases your ability to navigate more accurately under pressure. The keel affords you the ability to seize opportunity and represents the power you have to respond to and dominate your market. Looked at another way, it's how your target market defines you in relation to your competitors. Your keel is your market trajectory.

The Rudder is all about execution - it guides your ship's direction in the water. In your company, the rudder represents management and its ability to take orders from the Captain and execute the plan on a day in and day out basis in any weather. Management is not just titles or rank, it is also a key component of every job function. Therefore it must be well defined, systemized, and implemented.

The Crow's Nest is the only place on your ship where you can see all parts of the vessel with a holistic perspective. Great Captains use the crow's nest to see what is really happening with decision-making. The crow's nest represents your company's financial strength. From the crow's nest you can see the economic consequences of every action you take.

The Compass the Captain's tool for navigation. It helps leadership understand where they are in relation to a constant. Your company's strategic vision is the compass that guides you and provides the basis for all job functions, systems, and processes. It is your organizational compass - the Captain's primary tool. A good compass is a lot more than just a statement, it must be an ethos that defines everything and everyone on board.

The Masts are what support the sails (sales) and deliver the power of your profit centers to the rest of your ship. Your masts represent the capacity of your customer service, production, and development. Without strategic integration and cooperation between your sails, masts, and rigging, (the three represent a profit center) market opportunities drift by like the wind.

The Rigging represents all the processes necessary to make your ship run smoothly. On a real ship the rigging is the lines and ropes that hold everything in its proper place. In your organization, the rigging represents your process equity: the level, sufficiency, integration and value of your systems and processes. Process equity is the true value of your work because it defines what can happen without you.

The Cannons represent your organization's ability to deal with the "pirates" before they get too close to your ship. This is the ability to proactively deal with and anticipate challenges instead of having to be in constant reaction, constantly putting out fires. The cannons are your ship's strategic workflow planning. We recommend loading them.

The Flags are what people see, hear and feel. This is what you use to signal to your target market that "their ship has finally arrived." In your company, your flags are your company's marketing. The flags communicate your message and make your value proposition undeniable, effective, and clear. Marketing is not about manipulation, it's about making a promise that you can keep every time.

John De Puy, President & CEO

Oaktree Ventures, Inc.

Eric J. Beck, Founder

Total Integration Executive Program™