Why Titanic is the Perfect Metaphor for Business
Is your business unsinkable?
When Titanic set out on its famously doomed maiden voyage back in 1912, the world had scarcely seen anything like it. This was a vessel that set new standards in size and luxury. Even the lower class (or “steerage”) passengers were impressed by the standard of their accommodation.
But more than this, symbolically Titanic was the beast that would conquer the oceans, to finally hail man victorious in the battle against nature.
But, on April 15 1912, the “unsinkable” ship hit an iceberg and sank, taking down more than 1,500 people with it.
A number of factors contributed to the disaster. Poor planning and arrogance, as much as simple bad luck, all played their part. Here are some observations from the story of Titanic and how its lessons can be applied to business today.
Lesson #1: Be pragmatic and always have a backup plan
Titanic infamously went to sea with only enough lifeboats for half of the passengers on board. There were a number of reasons for this but it can partly be attributed to the popular opinion of the day: engineers were more interested in building unsinkable ships than putting practical safety measures in place if things go wrong. It’s a…
