A straight line is not always the fastest route
Sometimes taking the direct route could be much slower than taking what may seem like a longer route
Explaining things through stories is a powerful way to convey a message to audiences. This is a story from the StoryBank publication that you can use next time in your presentation.
The story
In the late 1760s, Benjamin Franklin wondered why it took weeks longer for ships carrying mail to sail from London to North America, compared with the other way around. However, this wasn’t always the case. There were some captains that were able to sail a lot faster to North America — like Franklin’s cousin Timothy Folger.
Folger had previously been a whaler in Nantucket, and the phenomenon of the Gulf Stream was well known to the fisherman. There was a strong current caused by differences in temperature, water density, and water salinity that went from the Gulf of Mexico, along the east coast of North America, to the British Isles.
Ships coming from London to North America, instead of going directly west (a straight line), should in fact go south and then follow the currents which would lead to a much faster route. If ships did go directly west, they would be sailing against one of the strongest ocean currents which would severely slow them down to reach North American.
This was well known to the whalers who discovered that whales could be seen along the boundaries of the Gulf Stream. However, the mail ships were “too wise to be counselled by simple American fisherman” and had ignored this advice.
Key Messages:
- Asking for something directly from a decision maker may be slower than convincing influencers first then going to the decision maker
- The direct route may seem quick but may have invisible resistance
- Learn to listen from others in adjacent fields
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