I recently celebrated my 10th anniversary in my current role at the real job. Someone congratulated me, noting that I run ‘a tight ship.’
There are certain phrases we can read more than one way. That can be true even for a phrase with only one clear meaning. Online and in written text, sarcasm doesn’t always translate well. So I had to think for a moment about the idiom “running a tight ship” when I saw it in a comment not long ago.
I write about idioms from time to time because I find them interesting. Idioms are phrases that have a specific meaning, but that meaning might not be clear from looking at the words at face value.
Running a tight ship is a good example. It has nothing to do with life at sea or anything to do with a boat.
What we mean when we say ‘running a tight ship’
My dad loves sailing. I can’t say that’s something he and I share. My mom and I are what you’d call “landlubbers.” (And we’re fine with that designation.)
I do know one thing about sailing: you want to keep the ropes tight when the wind fills a sail. That helps the boat move faster. When you consider the old clipper ships like the one in the featured image above, you see all of those sales. To really make speed, all of those sales needed to be catching as much wind as possible.
By keeping the sails tight against the wind, you gain momentum.
Dictionary.com explains that the term is a metaphor that alludes to a ship in which the ropes are taut. By extension, it means the ship is strictly managed. Other sources say it refers to a “well-managed” organization.
The Collins Dictionary offers a slight different, slightly more negative meaning, however. It suggests the term refers to exercising “a close, strict control over a ship’s crew, a company, organization, or the like.”
Well, because my colleague was offering congratulations on my work anniversary, I know he didn’t mean the reference to my running a tight ship negatively.
But you have to be careful about how you phrase it and the context in which you use it.
To me, running a tight ship means laying out clear expectations so everyone’s on the same page. Yes, I’m a perfectionist. And yes, there are certain absolute rules that I set and expect everyone to always follow.
But I’m a lot harder on myself than I ever am on those on my team. I’m pretty sure they’d all tell you that.
To me, a big part of being a leader is treating those you manage at least as well as you would want your boss to treat you. Rules aren’t a bad thing. But a lack of rules and a lack of a game plan can be chaotic for everyone.
If you can get control of the situation so your “crew” always knows what to expect and knows how to roll with whatever punches are likely to come along, I think that’s a great way to keep the “ship” running smoothly!
I’d be awful at running a tight ship.
If you asked me, I’d say exactly the same thing. For me, though, it’s never been about being “in charge.” I’m a ship’s captain that didn’t really aspire to be a ship’s captain!
It’s always about creating the processes that make the most sense, get the work done, make the product as good as we can make it, and making it as simple to work through as possible. Somehow, in setting those parameters, the ship seems to have gotten tighter than it had been. At least, that’s the only way I can figure it.