The Vessel or the Cargo?

My wife and I have been diving into some new technology platforms that will allow us to share some of our beliefs, mindsets, and best practices with those people that we are connected to. There are so many platforms out there for content layout, content distribution, marketing outreach, profile targeting, and automated communication. I’m blown away!

As we’ve been starting this process there has been hours and hours of time spent on “learning” the platforms. How they work. How to set them up. How to populate them. How to customize them. How to integrate them. How to, how to, how to.

Here-in lies the problem…we’ve gotten so caught up in the vessel (the technology platform) that we’ve forgotten about the cargo (the message). We’ve invested so many hours into creating the vessel that the message has gotten pushed to the side. We’ve tweaked and customized the vessel, but left the message in a conceptual state. We’ve been more focused on the boat than the passengers. And, the reality is that it doesn’t matter how fancy, shinny, and dazzling the platform is, if the message doesn’t connect, it doesn’t work. The message always wins!

I will have you consider that this same thing happens in our personal and professional lives. We get so caught up in the “vessel” that we operate in – the house, the car, the clothes, the perceptions – that we forget to focus on the “cargo” – the people, the lessons, the connections, the values. We end up putting all of our time and energy into the vessels of our life at the expense of the cargo.

Some of the most powerful messages have been delivered on the most unimpressive platforms. Some of the best ideas and concepts are birthed on cocktail napkins, post-it notes, voice recorders, and white boards. Yet, we get so caught up in the “dazzle” of the platform, that we forget that the only purpose of the platform is to deliver the message.

There is a saying in the restaurant industry that goes, “Great plate presentation can’t overcome a bad food quality.” On the contrary, some of the best meals that I’ve had were not focused on “wowing” the customer with the presentation. The focus was the food…and it spoke for itself.

Where in your personal or professional life are you focused on the vessel and not the cargo? Where are you putting your energy into “plate presentation” instead of “food quality?” Remember, the message always wins!