Job description

A "strategist" does not necessarily need to know the base level of the sport (or business). Strategy is at a much broader level than the detail that you all describe. Strategists can draw on people who have the detail and grass roots expertise, but not need to have direct exposure to it. This is why, very often, and especially so in business, it is quite common for these types of roles to be fulfilled by people who have little exposure to that particular space. Their expertise is driving a concept wider than that. One of the problems of promoting someone from the grass roots dinghy/yachting/motor boating arena is that they will have their own ideas entrenched in traditional thinking. To use a term I hate, people who think "out of the box" are what is often required for this type of role. So dont dismiss anyone who comes from "outside". Great if someone has the sport experience and is a strategist, but it isnt always the case or necessarily desired.

Edited by ttc546 - 11 Jan 19 at 6:25pm

This ^ is what happens when you bring commerce into the running of sport....

To me that is the whole point, bringing business practices into running amateur sport is, almost universally, a very bad thing, taking part becomes more expensive, volunteering stops being part of the culture and participation declines. For the vast majority of those who matter sailing is a hobby and not a business.

Originally posted by getafix Originally posted by ttc546 A "strategist" does not necessarily need to know the base level of the sport (or business). Strategy is at a much broader level than the detail that you all describe. Strategists can draw on people who have the detail and grass roots expertise, but not need to have direct exposure to it. This is why, very often, and especially so in business, it is quite common for these types of roles to be fulfilled by people who have little exposure to that particular space. Their expertise is driving a concept wider than that. One of the problems of promoting someone from the grass roots dinghy/yachting/motor boating arena is that they will have their own ideas entrenched in traditional thinking. To use a term I hate, people who think "out of the box" are what is often required for this type of role. So dont dismiss anyone who comes from "outside". Great if someone has the sport experience and is a strategist, but it isnt always the case or necessarily desired. An excellent point, well made.  Expertise is far more important than hobbies in this case IMO.

As true as this maybe in the real world of commerce, time and again it's proven the corporate rules and governance when applied to niche sectors result in horrendous failure, I could site brand after brand where this has occurred. Like it or not we are a niche activity and to create an ongoing strategy for something as tiny as the RYA in the greater scheme of things, that strategist at least has to have his or her feet in that world.

They've missed several opportunities recently, Kitesport, Stand Up Paddlesport to name two that could have benefitted both parties and half the reason for that is their previous failure to keep the hearts and minds of previous sports in that sector.

The RYA strategy should be all things water related if they wish to continue to act as the placebo in place of whitehall meddling.

Edited by iGRF - 13 Jan 19 at 4:50pm

Sailing is not niche. There are very few niches. Ask a man at the bus stop what sailing is and he can describe it quite accurately. The game is in making more people get experience of sailing - normally they can achieve this close to home, and to then get them to committing to returning. There is no point marketing the sport to those who do it regularly, we should be seeking to broaden the appeal. There are more people to chase who have not done the sport than those that already have.

A\the sport could clearly benefit from an external perspective, as could the non-sporting aspects. It is easy to forget that the RYA is the authority for sport and recreational boating in the UK. Maybe they should be separate, but they are not.