The Gatekeepers

The Gatekeepers

Originally posted on Sailgroove.org on April 22, 2009

"We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming." Wernher von Braun

     Running a sailing team, as with running any organization, requires a bit of paperwork. When I was in school Texas required; rosters and insurance for every team member at the start of each semester, release form and dues for every member for AYC, driver certifications for the use of school vans, and a full travel roster for each weekends regatta. You can add to that registration for the "required" rec-sports fairs, annual budget presentation to justify sailing's massive (per-capita) spending, procuring checks from the student services bank, and all the student organization’s registration paperwork as well.

     What I'm getting at is that there’s a lot of stuff that isn't sailing related at all, but is a requirement for your group to operate. Fail to complete any of the above tasks and you aren't going to compete that weekend or you will see your budget cut next year. It's imperative for your team’s success that all the administrative tasks are cared for, and that you can get them done quickly and get back to the real business of the team, which is winning races.

So who really runs your school rec-sports department, yacht club, and district? It's whoever handles the paperwork. They are the people that keep the place running and you will have a much easier time if you have a good relationship with the real workers in the bureaucracy.

     The first step in this is making sure you start building a relationship with them in the beginning; first impressions are important. When you go in there in September to turn everything in, make a point to introduce yourself to whoever handles your stuff and then say hello to them every time you are in there from now on. Get to know everyone who you may need help from one day, and don’t just introduce yourself, introduce a few other team members as well, pass this relationship on. 

     The same rules apply to the office staff at your Yacht Club and ICSA officers. These are the people you need to be on a first name basis with, so when things go wrong (and they ALWAYS do) you can easily turn to them for help.

     This skill of knowing the gatekeepers is a lifelong lesson that is really valuable in the business world. Secretaries and assistants know just about everything, they answer the phone, take minutes at meetings, and have keys to all the doors. They know who's working late or getting angry calls from customers, they are the eyes and ears of office and with the right relationship you can have access to what they know.

     The final bit is locking up this relationship for next semester. At the end of the year send team thank you notes to everyone who helps the team, everyone. For your bigger bosses and those that do a lot for you, give them a team shirt as well. Just make sure you get the details right (names, shirt sizes) and that no one gets left off (I'm so cynical I think it's likely the one person you forget is the one person that will be there to help you when the #%^ hits the fan).

     Ultimately, running a team is about building and managing productive relationships. If you make that a priority a lot of other things will fall into place.

Good Luck

Blake Billman

SEISA Graduate Director