Who’s on your boat? How communications teams can move in the same direction, together

Mary Olson-Menzel is the founder and CEO of MVP Executive Development and co-founder of Spark Insight Coaching. Michelle Powers is a fractional chief of staff.

As communications leaders, you spend a tremendous amount of time focused on strategy, messaging, stakeholder management and helping others navigate change. Yet one of the most important leadership questions often has nothing to do with communications plans, executive messaging or channel strategies.

It is this: Do you have the right people on the boat?

At leadership retreats and team off-sites, our team often facilitates an exercise that we call the “Boat Exercise.” Participants are shown an image of a boat on a journey. Scattered throughout the illustration are people in very different situations.

One may be steering the ship. Some are pulling up the anchor. Some are standing on the dock, unsure whether they want to come along. Others are sitting comfortably on a nearby island. A few are struggling in the water. And some are simply watching from a distance.

The exercise is simple, but the conversation it sparks is profound.

We ask participants one question: Where are you in the boat right now? Where is your leader? And where are your teammates?

The answers reveal a great deal about engagement, alignment, leadership and team dynamics. More importantly, they reveal whether everyone on the team is truly prepared for the journey ahead.

Every comms team is on a journey

Every communications function is navigating constant change. New technologies emerge, executive priorities change, business strategies evolve and stakeholder expectations grow more complex. Teams are asked to move faster, do more with less and communicate with greater precision than ever before.

In this environment, having a clear destination matters. But having the right crew matters more.

Many leaders set the course and ensure that everyone understands where the organization is headed, why it matters and what role they play in getting there.

When team members are disconnected from the mission, unclear about expectations or disengaged from the work, they often find themselves, metaphorically, sitting on the island, standing on the dock or even struggling in the waters below them.

They may be physically present, but they are not fully on the journey.

The power of self-awareness

One of the reasons the Boat Exercise is so effective is that it creates a moment of honest self-reflection. Few people intentionally choose to become disengaged: They arrive there gradually. Perhaps they experienced burnout, feel overlooked or don’t know how their work contributes to the larger mission.

Before leaders can move people forward, they must first help people understand where they are today. That begins with self-awareness and making space for honest conversation.

Using the Boat Exercise, leaders take the opportunity to ask their team:

• Where do you see yourself on the boat today?
• What is helping you move forward?
• What is holding you back?
• What support do you need from me?
• Where would you ideally like to be six months from now?
• How do we reach this destination together safely and successfully?

These conversations help get everyone on the same page.

Alignment is more important than agreement

One of the biggest misconceptions about high-performing teams is that everyone thinks the same way. They don’t. Strong teams are filled with diverse perspectives, healthy debate and constructive disagreement.

What matters is alignment: Everyone understands the destination, the mission and their role in helping the team get there.

When teams lack this alignment, energy becomes fragmented. Individuals begin to “row” in different directions, take a nap on the deck or even jump off the boat.

When teams begin working toward a common objective, the boat picks up speed and momentum.

Leadership is about building the right crew

As leaders, we focus on performance metrics, productivity and results. While those outcomes matter, performance is ultimately the result of creating the conditions that allow people to do their best work.

Building a strong comms team involves bringing together people with diverse strengths, perspectives and experiences while creating an environment where individuals feel safe contributing ideas, taking risks and speaking up. Great leaders help team members understand why their work matters and how it contributes to the broader mission of the organization.

Recognize that every employee begins the journey from a different place. Some team members are highly engaged and eager for new challenges. Others may need coaching or additional support to build confidence and momentum.

The most effective leaders understand that leadership is not simply about getting people into the boat. It is about helping them see the value of the journey, understand their role in it and feel genuinely invested in reaching the destination together.

Moving the boat forward together

The Boat Exercise creates an opportunity for teams to develop a shared understanding of where they are today, where they want to go and what it will take to get there.

When teams achieve that level of alignment:

• Communication becomes clearer because people understand the larger context behind decisions and priorities.
• Collaboration improves because team members are working toward a common goal rather than competing agendas.
• Trust grows because individuals feel seen, heard and connected to one another.
• Innovation flourishes because people are more willing to share ideas and explore new possibilities.

Over time, these elements create the momentum that allows teams to navigate challenges and move forward together.

Above all, team members feel a sense of belonging and purpose. They no longer feel like individuals working in isolation; they feel connected to something larger than themselves and invested in a collective outcome.

Communications leaders are uniquely positioned to create it. By bringing people together, clarifying the destination and helping each team member understand their role in the journey, leaders can transform a group of talented individuals into a united team that is moving confidently in the same direction.

But before any team can reach its destination, it must first answer a fundamental question: Is everyone in the boat?