The Titanic was state-of-the-art. No expense had been spared to make sure that it would be unsinkable. The officers were unconcerned by their inability to get accurate information on possible hazards that might lie in its course.

The ship had two lookouts on its masts, but they had no binoculars. The crew could see far enough ahead to react to danger, but, unbelievably, they had no way to get that information to the captain if they did see a problem approaching.

And we all know what happened. The unsinkable ocean liner went to her doom, along with most of her passengers on her maiden voyage -- the victim of a disastrous collision with an iceberg.

Disasters like this can happen in business also if we aren’t careful to make sure vital intelligence doesn’t get swallowed up by internal bureaucracy and inattention to detail.

Most of you have probably heard of the Peter Principle, a management concept developed by Dr. Laurence Peter. It observes that people in a hierarchy “rise to a level of incompetence.” They don’t start out as incompetent, but rather are promoted until they reach a level of respective incompetence.

An obvious solution to the Peter Principle is for companies to provide training for employees before they receive a promotion to ensure they are qualified for the job to which they are being promoted.

For example, I’ve seen many outstanding sales representatives promoted to sales manager when they don’t have any experience developing business plans, setting sales quotas and sales plans, analyzing data, mentoring a sales force, hiring and firing and so on.

Besides a lack of training, there are numerous other factors resulting in incompetence in the workplace, such as sheer laziness, poor communication and lack of people skills.

People are lazy for a variety of reasons. People become sloppy in checking their work and thus make multiple mistakes. They show up late for work and often don’t look professional when they do. Waiting until the last minute to get assignments done can also be a sign of laziness.

The most basic yet crucial leadership skill is communication, yet many people struggle with giving clear instructions. To make communication really work, we have to make sure the people we’re talking with understand what we are saying as well as we do. Communication requires both effective sending and receiving. To avoid a breakdown in communications, break down your message so that everyone can understand it.

From time to time, it’s a good idea to reevaluate your performance in these fundamental areas: speaking, listening, writing, leading meetings and resolving conflict. Talk is cheap, but misunderstandings can be costly.

Communication ranks high among top people skills, but incompetent people also lack social skills like patience, politeness, sympathy and teamwork. They are often rude, overbearing, hot-headed, tactless and have trouble getting along with others.

Many companies have had to reduce costs, which puts a heavy burden on otherwise competent employees by spreading them too thin. Where possible, managers should consider outsourcing or hiring contractors to take away some of the burden. Those costs will be money well-spent.

Other companies hire people and expect too much, too soon. Hiring is much more than filling an open position. Not everyone hits the ground running. People grow at various speeds. Help them prove their competence by setting clear, achievable goals. If they fail, the fault may lie more in the hiring process than in the employee’s lack of skills.

Incompetence in one area doesn’t necessarily carry over. We all have strengths and weaknesses. The balance between the two often determines the perception of competence. Build on your strengths, but don’t ignore your weaknesses.

Let’s face it, everyone has had an incompetent moment or two or three in their lifetime. That includes me. When I was starting my envelope manufacturing company many years ago, I worked many long, long days. One night, when I got home late again, my very pregnant wife, Carol Ann, told me that the light in the hallway wasn’t working. I flipped the switch and sure enough, no light. I thought there was a short in the switch or something, so I called our electrician.

He fixed the problem early the next morning, handed me the bill and said, “This is the first time I’ve ever made a house call to change a light bulb!”

Mackay’s Moral: The time to right the ship is before incompetence becomes impossible.

In a research experiment, a marine biologist placed a shark into a large holding tank and then released several small bait fish into the tank. The shark quickly swam around the tank, attacked and ate the smaller fish.

The marine biologist then inserted a strong piece of clear plexiglass into the tank, with the shark on one side and a new set of bait fish on the other. The shark attacked, slamming into the plexiglass divider over and over. The fish swam around unharmed in their section. After about an hour, the shark gave up, according to this story from Bits & Pieces.

Over the next few weeks, the shark made fewer attempts to attack the fish, until it stopped attacking altogether. When the marine biologist removed the divider, the shark didn’t attack. It believed a barrier existed between it and the bait fish, so the fish swam wherever they wished, free from harm.

I love shark stories; is it any wonder why? But how many imaginary barriers do you see separating you from what you really want?

Many of us create barriers for a variety of reasons. Maybe we were trained a certain way and need to reprogram ourselves. We don’t think we have options. We don’t want to take chances or rock the boat. Or it could be that we simply don’t want to do something, so we create doubt.

If we try something and fail, is that a reason not to try it again later? Things change. We change. That’s not an excuse to give up on something.

I wrote a column years ago about the late Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who learned he had pancreatic cancer. He gave a final upbeat speech, eventually viewed by millions, titled “The Last Lecture.”

In it he said: “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how bad we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it bad enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

But brick walls get knocked down every day. When you know that what you want is on the other side, and you want it more than you want anything else, you go looking for a sledgehammer.

I think of the challenging times when I was starting my company, or when the envelope business seemed to be on the brink of extinction, or when a civic project I was heading up hit a roadblock. It would have been easier to give up. But then I would have to live with my decision to quit rather than persevere. Could I overcome that disappointment?

In the wise words of Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was the first person confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest: “It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.”

So who says that you can’t accomplish your goals? Who says that you’re not tougher, better, smarter, harder-working and more able than your competition? It doesn’t matter if they say you can’t do it. The only thing that matters is if you say you can't do it. As we all know, if we believe in ourselves, there’s hardly anything that we can’t accomplish.

The shark from my opening story would have been wiser had it heeded the words of Oprah Winfrey, whose career had plenty of bumps as she started in television: “Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.”

Surviving a setback is more tolerable if you step back and review your goal. Get some perspective on the direction you need to take when you recover from this stumble.

When I have doubts, I always remember the famous words of Thomas Edison, perhaps the greatest American inventor, who said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

I wrote a chapter in my recent book -- “You Haven’t Hit Your Peak Yet!” -- on “The Seven Cs of Success.” They included: clarity, competence, constraints, concentration, creativity, courage and continuous learning.

A reader sent me a very fitting quote from Zig Ziglar: “The three Cs of life: choices, chances, changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.”

Who would have known there were so many Cs to help sail through life? And I have listed several more:

Curiosity -- Curiosity is one of nature’s greatest gifts. The old saying “You learn something new every day” should be taken very seriously. Be curious about everything around you. The future belongs to the curious; the ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it and turn it inside out. Let curiosity turn “I don’t know” into “I want to find out.”

Commitment -- When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. Commitment is a prerequisite to success. Commitment is the state of being bound -- emotionally, intellectually or both -- to a course of action. Commitment starts with a choice and is sustained by dedication and perseverance.

Competition -- The breakfast of champions is competition. Competition has made me a better businessman, a better golfer and a better person. And when there isn’t another company or business to compete with, I try to outdo myself. If that sounds simple, well, it is. I always want to be at my best and show my best side.

Communication -- The most basic yet crucial life skill is communication. From time to time, reevaluate your performance in these fundamental areas: speaking, listening, writing, leading meetings and resolving conflict. Communication needs to be clear and understandable. Communication requires both effective sending and receiving. No one can succeed in business, or in life, for that matter, without developing good communication skills.

Consistency -- Don’t be resistant to being consistent. If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it. Consistency is especially important in business. Consistency establishes reputations. In any business, customers expect the same standards. They want predictability.

Compassion -- Compassionate people really care. Compassionate people are also more positive. That’s why you should practice compassion every day of your life. Helping someone up won’t pull you down.

Caring -- It's contagious! Help spread it around. People don’t care how much you know about them once they realize how much you care about them. This concept is so important I made it the theme of my first book, “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” It’s also central to my Mackay 66 Customer Profile. Learn as much about your customers and suppliers as you possibly can because you can’t talk about business all your life. Build those relationships and take it from a business level to a personal level.

Customers -- Nothing is more important than customer service. No customer service, and pretty soon, no customers. The key is to latch onto your customers and hold them fast. Don't just meet their needs. Anticipate them. Don't wait for them to tell you there's a problem. Go out and ask them if there's a problem. They are your most important focus group. Disappoint customers and they’ll disappear.

Charisma -- Some people walk into a room and all heads turn. When they begin to speak, people are mesmerized. They instantly gain respect and trust. In a word, they have charisma, one of the most desirable and enviable qualities in the world.

Charm -- My mother used to tell me that you could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. When I finally understood what she was talking about, I realized that our personalities often determine the outcome of situations. Charm is what you bring out in other people because you are genuinely interested. It’s a life lesson, not just a business strategy.

Challenge -- Unless you live on Easy Street, you will face plenty of challenges. Welcome challenges; they make you better. Business challenges are a fact of life. How you handle them determines whether you will stay in business. And they don’t always have to come from external sources. Challenge yourself to improve every day.

Cooperation -- Getting along is the key to getting ahead. Competition and cooperation are not opposites. We often must work together to have the best outcomes and stay competitive.

Mackay’s Moral: “C-ing” is believing and succeeding.