7 AMAZING THINGS THAT BIRDS TEACH US ABOUT TEAMWORK

Migratory birds like Geese, Ducks, Swans, Pelicans move towards southern hemisphere during the winter when the weather becomes too cold for them to survive.

You might have seen a flock of birds fly in a V formation. Have you ever wondered why they do so?

Here is the secret:The V formation highly boosts the efficiency of the migrating birds. They take advantage of the aerodynamic effect. When a bird in the front flaps its wings it reduces the air friction for the birds behind it giving them an additional lift. A bird can fly 71 times more efficiently in a V formation than flying alone. Thus they can reach their destination faster and with minimum energy expended.

What pilots learnt from these birds?

The "V", or "Vic" formation is a basic flight formation for military aircraft in many air forces.The Vic formation is also common in ceremonial flyovers and airshow flights.V formation is said to improve fuel efficiency of aircraft.

The military aircraft can save 20% of fuel when in a V formation. Allied bomber pilots of the Second World War are rumored to have noticed this first.

What can we learn?

1. One Goal- One purpose

The flock has a common goal - to reach the destination and reach quickly because “WINTER IS COMING”.

Working towards a common goal is most essential when working as a team. If every individual works to achieve their own objectives then it becomes impossible to win as a team. There might be 100 directions to reach the destination but only when everyone agrees on general direction it will be more effective.

2. Stay Coordinated 

Just staying in the V formation won’t help the birds it’s about flapping at the right time that matters.

Having a team won’t help if you do not coordinate. You need to in sync with the team to get things done.  So every member of the team needs to co-ordinate and collaborate effectively to win.

3. Give everyone a chance to lead

When the lead (the bird at the front of the formation) is tired it flies backwards to rear of the formation (where the resistance is least) and lets another bird to take the leadership. In this way the birds keep taking turns when flying in a V formation. Rotating through various positions in V maximizes the utilization of every bird’s energy.

Everyone have their own strengths and capabilities. A leader should empower others to become leaders by letting them take the lead in the areas they excel.

Leaders don’t create more followers, they create more leaders.” – Tom Peters

 4. Increase the Visibility

Flying in a V offers each bird unimpaired line of sight when they fly. Every bird has the clear view of what’s in the front. It makes easier to keep track of each member in the flock.

An organization should have visibility in two ways. Having top-down “V”isibility enables leaders to stay connected to make better informed decisions. On the other hand, bottom-up “V”isibility enables employees to see the bigger picture, which in turns helps in their engagement, empowering them for better alignment with the organizational objectives.

5. Recognize and appreciate hard work

The birds at the rear of the V formation honk to encourage and appreciate the leaders in the front. This motivates the lead to keep up the speed. 

Everyone likes to be recognized for their work. Appreciation confirms that their work is valued. Appreciation is one of the top motivators for employees to work harder and to be more productive. Studies show that appreciation is directly linked to happiness in the workplace. A study by online career site Glassdoor revealed that more than 80 percent of employees say they are motivated to work harder when their Boss shows appreciation to their work.

6. Stop being selfish.

Being selfish few birds may try to fly solo but they soon realize the advantage of being with in the formation with other birds and join them.

All beings are born selfish. We think of ourselves first before anyone else. Selfishness makes success harder to achieve and our growth gets limited. Overcoming selfishness is hard in the beginning but will be easier over time.  For the team to grow it is really important that the team members stay selfless and act for benefit of everyone.

7. Help each other in challenging situations

If a bird in the flock is injured or shot then two other birds stay with it and protect it until it’s cured or is dead. They later rejoin their group.

A person’s true identity is revealed during tough times. A team needs to stand by each other in difficult times.  

It’s amazing how these birds have the natural ability to collaborate, co-ordinate .Birds have realized the benefits of working together as a team, Have you?

 ‘I’ CANNOT DO IT. ’ V’ CAN DO IT.