5 Secrets about Successful Management You Can Learn from SCUBA Diving

In 1994 I booked myself and my wife a holiday that would be the measure of all future holidays. I booked a 10-day tour of Sri Lanka followed by a 7 day stay on Ari Beach in the southern atoll of the Maldive Islands – Paradise. 

Our island was awesome. It was an elongated island about 1 ? miles in circumference, there were no paths (just sand), and our lodge was right in the centre. The biggest decision we had to make, in the morning, was which side of the island we would spend the day on. I suppose this was lesson one – Manage an effective empowered team of staff and managers so you can enjoy holidays like this in the future.

Anyway, during my stay I decided I would take the PADI open water Scuba dive course. Since then I’ve logged over 500 dives in some of the most perfect places and had close encounters with some of the most beautiful and dangerous creatures on the planet.

So, how did SCUBA make me a better manager and business leader?

1. We all have a watch, but do we have the time?

One of the most important lessons I have learnt from SCUBA is “we all have a watch, but do we have the time”. On January 20, 2009 my very good friend and dive buddy died suddenly at his home from a dive related injury he unknowingly picked up a couple of months before while on a holiday in Mexico with his new wife. The point is, and I don’t want to be morbid, the point is that this is it. This isn’t a prelim, or a practice run. This is the final, the world cup, we only get one chance, once it’s over it’s over. So, while we’re here it’s important to make a positive difference in everything that we do and to have fun doing it, or what’s the point. I wear Trevor’s watch (which reminds me I have the time), and every time I look at it I think to myself, thank god for today, thank god for where I am, where I’ve been and where I’m going.

2. Plan your dive and dive your plan

Like managing a business and leading a team, SCUBA diving is an exciting adventure. The activities can seem, from the outside, like something you do by the seat of your pants but actually they both work better with careful planning if you don’t want any nasty surprises.

For instance, arguments under water with your dive partner about direction definitely don’t work if you want to enjoy the journey any more than they do with your team when you’re in the middle of a project! It can be costly and unsafe to be going in different directions. So, have you a Vision statement? If you haven’t how do you expect everyone to head in the right direction.

When you’re working (or diving) your plan, sometimes, you have to be prepared to change the steps you take to achieve your vision or your destination. I remember one time we were planning a dive on the boat just off Brixham. The conditions were in our favour and we knew exactly what we were going to do and what each of us were responsible for. However, we got to our dive depth and one of the team showed signs of Nitrogen Narcosis (you can’t perform even the easiest of tasks, it’s like being drunk under water). So, we moved to plan B – we changed the steps not the goal and enjoyed the rest of the dive –

Always have a plan B

What is your vision and what plans have you got in place for your business growth? How clear is everyone involved about what those plans are? How well is everyone sold on the plan? How often do you measure your progress against your plan?

I’ve put together a 12 month Action Focused Leadership and Management Program which comes with the Action Focused Reflective Logbook. Both, the courses and the logbook, help the learners to plan for the future of the team and the business and it holds them accountable for their actions.

3. Choose your buddies very VERY carefully

Not wanting to sound mellow dramatic but once I was partnered with someone who seriously put my life at risk. He was one of those with all the gear but no idea! Towards the end of the dive he panicked and headed for the surface (from 30m) too fast. He was going to die. So, I grabbed his leg, dumped his air and calmed him down – at 30m, very dangerous. During a very controlled ascent back to the surface I had time to think about which part of his body I was going to punch first. Once I was back on the boat, however, I was angrier with myself. I took him (as a buddy) on face value, he had a very nice dry suit and an expensive dive computer strapped to his wrist – he must be good?

When recruiting for your team there are three choices you can make:

Choice 1 – Employ winners. The problem is that they can be expensive and difficult to find.

Choice 2 – Employ potential winners. People that can be trained to become the above.

Choice 3 – Pray!?

When I’m out delivering my Leadership and Management Programs I hear so many managers say I hope they work out…I pray they fit in.

Recruiting the right team members is an artform. You must take time, choose the competencies you need and the attitudes that will work for your environment. In our one-day recruitment workshop we practice the skills necessary to find the winners and potential winners. We’ve also designed a list of questions which target the following five attitudes:

1. Honesty
2. Humility
3. Perseverance
4. Initiative
5. Determination 

If it helps we can also teach your team to assess the behavioural type your team members. DISC analysis is such an important management tool because it predicts the behavior of people and helps managers learn how to communicate more effectively with the individuals in their team.

4. Train, train and train some more

Do you dive? Are you qualified? When did you learn to dive? The answer to the last question is when you were out there doing it. I remember learning about neutral buoyancy in a class room. I kind of understood what the instructor was talking about and passed the paper test, then we went into the water. We were attempting neutral buoyancy in 9m of water and I think I ended up upside down and out of control – it’s not wise to laugh under water?! With practice, I now control my buoyancy with my lungs (little breaths) and have swam amongst groups of sharks without making any of them nervous. I trained because I constantly strived to be the best in everything that I did and it was a dream of mine to be surrounded by sharks.

When was the last time you did some professional development?

Have a look at my 12 month leadership program, it’s designed to help you be the best in everything that you do. It will hold you and your team accountable for achieving the company vision and it really does work.

5. Stop, Breathe and think

Sometimes you have to just stop, take a breath and think – in SCUBA it could save your life. You should do that now. What can you take from the four points above. Do you have an effective vision statement or just a piece of paper with some words on it? Do you have the mission steps to take you to your vison?

I’ve literally helped hundreds of businesses like Stanley Black and Decker, the security management team at Wembley Stadium, the managers at Slater Gordon, Tinies and Open Study College, Kings college London and South Cambridgeshire District Council build their teams of staff to achieve the team vision and I know I could help you too.

Please drop me an email with your details on it and I’ll contact you for a chat about what we have to offer with regards to management and Leadership development and maybe a little SCUBA too.

[email protected]

Thanks for your time

Take only photos. Leave only bubbles. Kill nothing but time - Thanks for reading