Flight of Geese – 5 Management Lessons

Flight of Geese

One of the key things I do is conducting corporate team building training program for my corporate clients. Even with senior management teams, one inherent key request I get all the time is a need to get their teams to come together. Any management team can come together as a group. It takes lots more to be a functional effective team. One key lesson I use all the time is the use of the Geese metaphor how we can learn simplistically looking at how geese flies and the lesson inherent in their flight of geese in “V” formation.

Lesson 1: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the other birds that follows, hence it becomes smarter for all the birds to fly in a group. Interestingly if you ever spot them flying, they fly in a “V”. Amazingly for the Flight of Geese, the lift and the aerodynamics of flying in “V” formation adds 71% greater flying range had each bird flown alone. Management tip #1, do share your expertise with your team, you will be amazed when pieced in place they become collectively powerful.

Lesson 2: Flight of Geese  will stay in formation with their leaders and each goose is willing give help and accept help too. When the lead Goose tires, another bird will seamlessly take its place, carrying on with the journey. Management tip #2, it pays to take leadership responsibility, as the journey is a common cause for all of you.

Lesson 3: When a geese falls out of formation, it looses speed, feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly gets back in formation to get the airlift to continue flying at the same speed. Management tip # 3, when you work in your corporate teams, tow the line and work for the cause you been employed for.

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Lesson 4: Imagine seeing the  Flight of Geese which are flying in formation, they will honk to encourage those in front to keep up their speed. This excites the birds as the distance wanes, everyone is encouraging each other to keep up the pace. Management tip #4, honk, be encouraging, the power of encouragement is immensely useful in your corporate teams. Encourage with functional words and adjectives, give a pat on the back as you take on key challenges in your department.

Lesson 5: This is by far, is the most eventful lesson of Flight of Geese that we can learn from these birds. When a goose gets sick, wounded or has fallen back from the group and the formation; 2 geese drops out of the formation to follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the injured goose until it dies or is able to fly again. When it is recovered they fly out again in a small “V” to catch up with the flock. Management tip#5, I have seen so much hurtful behaviours where individuals thrive on the rat race, we fail to become kind or thoughtful. Lend a hand to your colleagues and stand by each other even through the difficult times. Teambuilding programs that we conduct accentuates such functional behaviours. It is my wish that teams do well and more importantly as Teams succeed so does the organization, that is our mantra and that is what we do in Teamwork Bound.