What comes to your mind when we say “team”? A basketball team, a football team? Or a group of professionals working together?
There is indeed no ubiquitous definition of the word “team”. A team can represent a group of people, as well as animals, or items, etc.
This time we think of geese as a team and get inspired by their powerful efforts for teamwork.
Teamwork – Lessons From Geese
Geese demonstrate some great examples of teamwork. They demonstrate very simple but highly effective teamwork principles that we can exercise in our business life.
Geese implement the basic principles of the teamwork very successfully. To achieve their common goal, they help and support each other in a very inspiring way. There are remarkable similarities between the mother nature and modern organizations, in terms of teamworking. Mother nature shows us the 5 principles or lessons for effective teamwork.
Here are the 5 principles of effective teamwork.
Geese Teamwork Principle 1: Geese fly in a V formation. When a goose in the flock flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the other geese that follows. By this way, the whole flock can fly longer distances as compared to a bird flies alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can reach their goals faster and easier because they are all providing help and support to each other.
Geese Teamwork Principle 2: When a goose passes off the formation, it immediately lags behind and no longer feels the benefit of the lift. The goose rejoins the formation to take the advantage of the lifting power once again.
Lesson: If we try to fly alone, we won’t have the team support anymore. When we fall out of the team, we have to get back immediately to concentrate on the common goal.
Geese Teamwork Principle 3: When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose takes over the lead.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.
Geese Teamwork Principle 4: The geese following the lead honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the productivity is greater. The power of encouragement is the quality of honking we seek.
Geese Teamwork Principle 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow the bird to the ground, to provide protection. They stay with that member till the goose dies or becomes able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Lesson: No one is left behind! A perfect team stands by each other. Stronger ones support the weaker ones and stand by each other through difficult times. They help people to get back on their feet.
Now; does your team perform as well as geese?
Next time your eyes gaze upwards at the flying V in the sky, remember! All this “teamwork stuff” is not only for the birds.
