The value of an honest no

There is a sentence I can say more easily today than earlier in my career: I do not believe this yacht is the right decision for you.

A good adviser does not confirm every wish. He helps connect desire with reality.

In one advisory situation, much looked convincing on paper: the yacht, the price and the availability. In conversation, however, it became clear that the intended use did not fit the size, complexity and running effort.

The important question was not whether the yacht could be bought. It was whether it would give the owner the freedom he was looking for after the first enthusiasm had passed.

The yacht was not bought. A transaction was lost in the short term. In the long term, something more valuable remained: trust in independent judgement.