Volume2, Issue 11 - November 2001

The Sense of a Goose

About this time of the year I look enviously at the geese flying south for the winter. Canadian winters are OK - but I'm sure that I could really tolerate the sun and the beach all winter, too. The other day I was watching them fly, remembering the analogy that I use in "Team Building". I'd like to take credit for this analogy - I cannot, but it is good regardless of who thought it up! I've added a few of my own comments, however, for the most part this belongs to that great writer 'Anonymous".

As you look up, you will see the geese flying in a "V" shape. Did you ever wonder why? Well, as each bird flaps its wings, it will create an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Pretty easy to create a Team Building analogy here isn't it? We are far more powerful when we work as a team and benefit from the uplift the other team members are creating. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. Now, typically when I teach Team Building - it is a corporate setting. Try applying this to how your family works as well. Not only is the weather causing the geese to fly south, the holiday season is right around the corner - and the better we work as a collective group or team, the more we can accomplish.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone - and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When you feel the drag of falling out of formation - look to get back in with the rest of the flock. Most of us complain a little about having to do everything ourselves, but don't look to get back together with the others. If you are working to hard, you are probably flying alone.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people at work, in the family, or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally, and this is important, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we had the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

Rhonda Scharf (Finniss) is President of ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Training & Consulting and is available for training and keynote speeches for your organization. Call today at 1-877-213-8608 or e-mail Rhonda@on-the-right-track.com. While you are visiting her site, sign up here for her complimentary quarterly newsletter.