Teamworking

Did you know that humans have a lot to learn from the world of geese!

• When a goose flaps its wings it creates uplift for the birds that follow. Flying in the V formation adds 71% to their flying range. They honk to encourage each other. For managers it is important to check that your team is in formation - do they understand the direction they are going? Check by getting them to explain it to you. How do you "honk"! How do you encourage each other? Encouragement is the life blood of the team. People have different energy levels and need to celebrate the achievements, recognise the difficulties and help each other to get through them.
• When a goose falls out of formation it feels the drag and resistance so quickly moves back. People need to understand the boundaries and the rules of the team. They need to know that challenging is fine but falling outside the team is not. Do you deal with this quickly?
• When one goose gets sick others drop out of formation and follow it to protect it. People need to feel supported especially when there are issues at home. Empathy and help will gain you the utmost respect and build team spirit. If the issue is internal, your role is to support the team through the barriers. They need you to use your position to help them achieve their goals or coach them in getting around the barriers.