THE FARMER AND HIS SONS
A farmer who had a quarrelsome family called his sons and told them to lay a bunch of sticks before him. Then, after laying the sticks parallel to one another and binding them, he challenged his sons, one after one, to pick up the bundle and break it. They all tried, but in vain. Then, untying the bundle, he gave them the sticks to break one by one. This they did with the greatest ease. Then said the father, “Thus, my sons, as long as you remain united, you are a match for anything, but differ and separate, and you are undone.” -Aesop
Geese fly seventy percent faster when in formation than they do alone, They work together and take turns leading in the front. The geese rotate positions in the “V” to stay strong and fast. Individually they do what they need to do to make the group as productive as possible. They keep company with the fallen. When a sick or weak goose drops out of the flying formation, at least one other goose leaves the formation to come to its aide and protect the weak.
Geese show us that we accomplish more faster by being a part of a team. The encouragement and support of those working with us inspires and energizes. We become great teammates when we collectively stay focused on the task at hand and do what is best for the whole group.
The geese also provide a prime example of showing compassion and caring for our teammates in need. Making the needs of others our needs brings us together and creates strong bonds that strengthen the culture. The next time you see a formation of geese flying overhead, remember that it is a privilege and honor to be a contributing member of a team. It is also our responsibility to make our team the best it can be.
How geese fly and Aesop’s fable provide great examples of the power and importance of the family concept within the framework of the team. We gain tremendous advantages when we work together to achieve our goals. Because this is foreign concept in the “me first” society in which we live, the advantages when an organization works as a family are even more important and evident within the team. Teams that work as a family succeed because there is strength in numbers. When things are going well, the team rallies together and dominates their goals. Organizations like the New England Patriots exemplify this concept. The Patriots are the modern day sports dynasty. They personify the idea of the family concept. They had the greatest coach and player in the modern era of football, but neither of these men seemed to care about this. Bill Belichek and Tom Brady did not seem to care about individual accolades that came at them. They are too caught up in the team goals and winning championships to self promote. This is the key factor that wins them championships. They put the team first. The individual accolades come, but so do the team championships. The team first mentality that the two leaders in this organization kept the Patriots in check and focused through years of success. They kept the important things in focus and continued to build on their success every year.
Working with the family concept also gets teams through tough times. When things go bad, great organizations close ranks, adjust and fight through it together because they trust one another. Tough times never last because the team comes together to get better. Excuses and the blame game aren’t tolerated within the framework of the family unit, and each person looks inwardly on how to make the team better before they look to criticize a teammate. Because the team comes first, when a team member gets corrected from another on the team, it is taken as constructive criticism and used as a tool to get better. Team members correct each other to lift them up and make them better and everyone within the family understands this. We don’t always like it, but understand it is necessary to grow as a team and individual. Because of this approach, teams that use the family concept bounce back quicker than the average organization.
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