Monday, March 28, 2011

Teamwork Can Be Deadly

Sunday afternoon I felt like I was living a charmed life.  Sitting atop Pit Lane watching the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Indy Car race in the amazing Florida weather was just about perfect.  I watched the drivers push their cars to the limit, take risks, and force their engines to scream down the front straight-away to the point of no return.  That means there were chances to capture homemade video of some wrecks in the first corner.

So what might have happened if those race teams, including the drivers, had not trusted each other when they designed and built those incredible cars?  Would all of the drivers walked away safely?  What would have happened if they had not invested time in each other to understand their various communication styles?  How would they know the difference between an innocent comment and a potentially fatal concern if they hadn't made the effort to become a team?  

Race teams are not small.  The crew that jumps over the wall to work on the car is but a small fraction of the massive effort necessary to run a world-class team.  Owners, sponsors, engineers, machine-shop staff, mechanics, software designers, test-drivers, wind-tunnel engineers, fabrication teams, pit-crew members, support staff, and the race day driver all make up the organization.

And if they make a mistake, the driver dies.

How About You
For most us teamwork does not mean life or death. Think of how fortunate you are. Think of what an amazing opportunity you have.  You can lead and build an amazing organization...a real team...without the unbelievable pressure of knowing that if you make a mistake one of your team members lives may be at risk.

What are you going to do with your opportunity today?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic and video courtesy of Me


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