Work As a Team!
April 21, 2010
We were in Puerto Rico last week for a program, and took a few extra days to enjoy the island and have a mini vacation (one of the benefits of having both kids out of the house).
Wanting to try something different, and on the recommendation of one of our clients, we took a day trip to the island of Culebra, about 17 miles east of the Puerto Rican mainland. The beaches are beautiful, and with very little effort, you can find your own private area to relax in.
We wanted to get in some snorkeling, and since we also enjoy kayaking, we found the best of both worlds in a company called Kayaking Puerto Rico. They offered a package where we could kayak out to some secluded reefs; they would anchor the kayaks, and we could snorkel to our hearts’ content.
There were plenty of things to see including tropical fish, different types of coral, spiny urchins, lobsters, starfish, and rays.
But some of the real fun took place when we headed back to the shore for a break and some snacks. We were among the last kayaks to get untied from the anchored boat, but we were determined to be the first back to shore (this was our workout for the day, after all).
So, working together, paddling first on the left, then on the right, then on the left, then on the right, we passed the first kayak. Then the second. Then the third. In all honesty, it wasn’t incredibly difficult for two reasons. First, we’ve kayaked before, and knew what we were doing.
But second, and more importantly, most of the other people were not working together. One was paddling left while the other was going right. They were completely out of sync in their rhythm. Some of them were literally going in circles and crashing onto other boats!
So with our heart rate up and our arms and shoulders aching, we passed the remainder of the kayaks, and got to shore first. We were sitting on the bench enjoying our snacks as the other boats came in – some of them ten minutes later.
(If you want to see us in our kayak, just click here – but be warned, this isn’t what we looked like when we were actually moving – we were trying to pose for the camera in this picture!)
Some of the other kayakers were bigger and stronger than us, but that didn’t matter – what was important was working together, having proper form, and executing according to plan.
You may not be on a kayak in the ocean, but good teamwork is essential in anything you do.
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I find it interesting that you follow up an article about making yourself the boss of your “unit” and and working as a separate entity, with an article about working as a team. From an organization-wide standpoint, these seem to be contradictory.
It’s ALWAYS about teamwork! Communication, practice, more communication and more practice!