Times are pretty good in America’s Finest City.
The economy is strong, the unemployment rate is under 3 percent, which means nearly everyone wanting a job has one, and there are signs of progress everywhere with new construction in every corner of the region.
So what does a CEO, owner or manager do with oneself to look productive? I believe that the watchword or phrase should be: “If it ain’t broke, break it.”
When everything seems smooth and in control, a problem could be overlooked by a lack of focus on the part of all employees. That lack of attention to detail can be very costly.
In one of my reading files, I stumbled onto this little ditty I wrote about a year or two ago, and I think it needs to be reprinted:
This is a story about modeling your employment team after a flock of geese. It sounds crazy, but managers responsible for running teams can learn a lot from a flock of geese.
Flocks are very appropriate examples of how a team can achieve the same objectives as a group of people but with better efficiency and safety. Every aspect of the flock organization is focused on the achievement of a common goal.
Consider the following:
– Each member is responsible for getting itself to wherever the flock is going. Each member looks to itself, not to the leader, to determine what to do.
– Every member knows the direction the flock is heading. Sharing the common direction makes assuming the leadership role easier.
– Every member of the flock is willing to assume leadership when the flock needs it. When the lead goose gets tired, a fresher goose from back in the pack assumes the leadership position. This allows the flock to maintain the fastest pace possible.
– Followers encourage leaders. Members honk from the rear to encourage leaders to maintain a fast pace.
– Members of the flock look after each other, helping all members achieve the goal. If a wounded goose goes down, two geese follow it and protect and feed it until it either recovers or dies.
– When the nature of the work changes, the geese reorganize themselves for the best results. They fly in a “V,” land in waves, and feed in fours.
This little outline is from “The Will To Lead, Managing with Courage and Conviction in the Age of Uncertainty” by Neil Snyder and Angela Clontz, Irwin Professional Publishing.
