Musings at Altitude

I read a quote a while back, “Culture is what happens when people aren’t watching”.  I can’t remember who to attribute it to, but it was a wonderful description of something all of us know – culture is not just what you see, but all that stuff that goes on behind the scenes as well.

I’d like to modify that quote for teamwork – “teamwork is what happens long before and long after the mission”.  We learned that last week in our leadership development training by watching the Blue Angels and seeing how they pre-briefed and de-briefed longer than they actually flew their shows.  And I see that so clearly every time the Thunderbirds perform over the Air Force Academy and stay in formation long after the crowds can no longer see them.

 In the formation flying of the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds, teamwork is a matter of life or death.  In business, it’s no different – teamwork is still a matter of business life or death.

For these precision flying teams, the preflight briefing and the post mission debrief are all longer than the mission itself.  The candid questions and the critical review push egos out of the room and pull trust into the team.  I see no reason why business shouldn’t be the very same way.  In the preparation before a mission we find focus and precision.  In the debriefing after the mission, we find efficiencies and course corrections.

And it’s all framed in and founded on trust.