Success through Teamwork
A couple of years ago, three friends and I embarked on a
journey that none of us had ever attempted before. As members
of a bicycle racing team, we were accustomed to riding and training
together in preparation for races, but we had set our sites on
something a bit bigger. Our goal, to ride across the Southern
part Florida, from the Gulf coast to the Atlantic coast, leaving
Naples, Florida headed towards West Palm Beach, Florida, a total of
156 miles one way, and then to return the following
day….two days, 312 total miles.
Our time goal was seven hours each way.
We encountered a number of obstacles, some of which we
expected and planned for, and some that were unexpected. Some
of the obstacles we faced included:
- Extremely high heat and humidity (95+ degrees, near 100% humidity)
- Long stretches of stiff headwinds
- Long stretches of rough pavement
- Speeding traffic - 60+ mph - just a few feet to our left
- Road debris - LOTS of it!
- Flying insects and BUGS
- Very high risk of dehydration
- Mean people - tossing things at us as they rode by (hadn't planned on this one)
- 312 miles!
The journey was a lesson in leadership, team work, individual
effort, and planning. Looking back on the experience, I
realized that many of the key elements necessary for success at
work and in my career were also key elements in the success of our
journey. Let me explain….
Setting BIG Goals
All too often we settle for mediocre goals; goals that
don’t inspire us or “light our fire.” Setting
really big goals or “stretch” goals can take you to
bigger and better places. The
experience of achieving those big
goals is sometimes more important than the actual achievement of
the goal itself. The experience allows you
to grow as a person, as a team mate and as a leader.
Having a Shared Goal
Setting a goal that is shared by others lays the groundwork
for team-based behavior. Our experience and achievement is
something that would have been extremely difficult, if not
impossible, to accomplish alone. As a result of our
experience, we gained a whole new level of respect for each other,
knowing that we were much more powerful as a team working together
toward a common goal – which is the cornerstone of
success at work and success in bicycle racing.
Clear Direction and a Plan
Having a goal is one thing, charting a path and developing a
plan to accomplish that goal is another. Our success in
accomplishing this particular “stretch” goal was
definitely a function of the level of detail and comprehensiveness
of our planning process – charting a clear course (our map)
and avoiding major highways, having adequate water and food
supplies available, having emergency resources available and having
repair and maintenance tools and supplies readily available.
Without clear direction and a well-designed plan, our success would
have been severely compromised.
Preparation
For several months leading up to our journey, we rode a number
of longer-than-normal rides – 100+ mile rides -- to properly
condition our bodies. In the days leading up the big ride, we
prepared our bikes – ensuring they were tuned-up and in
proper working condition. We also drank extra fluids and
consumed higher-than-normal levels of carbs in preparation for the
ride. The preparation process also laid the groundwork for
team “esprit de corps” – allowing us to
work closely together well before the main event took
place.
Team Effort
It is simply amazing what you can accomplish as a team.
Team members offer encouragement and “cheerleading” to
each other, share the work load, look out for each other, and help
remind each other to stay focused on the end goal. Team
members trust each other and work with the best interests of the
team in mind. All of these lessons specific to our journey
and experience are relevant in the workplace.
Proper Support
I think we forget sometimes all of the “behind the
scenes” action and activity that takes place to help us
accomplish our goals as team members. The gracious friends of
ours who chose to drive their cars at 22-25mph to accompany us for
the 312 mile round-trip journey were truly our guardian angels
– helping to deflect speeding cars, providing a place to
store our food supplies (each of us drank 12 bottles of fluid each
way), and providing “road side assistance” for flats
and mechanical problems (which we fortunately had very little
of). Our supporting cast was as much part of our team as the
riders, and I do a much better job now of recognizing and thanking
those at work who support me and my team.
Breaks and Rest
Yes….we did stop in route….several times for
lunch, to stretch and for “nature” breaks. The
lesson is that breaks are important, and in our case, necessary for
the body. Breaks during marathon sessions at work are also
important. Breaks help keep you energized, serve as a time
for conversation, reflection, and sometimes for evaluation of the
necessity for a change in course or plan.
Shared Success
In the end, we achieved our shared goal and celebrated our
shared success. Our shared success brought us closer together
as teammates and friends. It gave us a point of reference for
reflection and remembrance in future years, and it gave us a shared
experience – the many miles and tens of thousands of pedal
strokes each of us made to accomplish this shared goal.
Shared successes do wonders in bringing a group of people together
as teammates and setting the stage for heightened levels of team
work in future endeavors. The same applies to work, without
question.
Individual Success
Each of did succeed as individuals in the quest we
shared. We can each say we accomplished the goal, for each of
us individually crossed “the finish line”. Yes,
we’re better teammates, but we all grew individually as well,
and we’re all, individually, better cyclists as a result of
this shared journey. The same applies at work -- we each grow
professionally through our efforts as teammates, through shared
goals, shared direction and, ultimately, shared success.
© 2010
