Lessons from the Yacht Trip

Last year my wife's family gathered in Chicago for the wedding of her niece.  It was a wonderful wedding and a great time was had by all who had the privilege of attending.  But along with the wedding, my wife's family turned the event into a sort of family reunion.  I love getting together with her family.  Everyone seems to get along so well, and when the event has ended, we all feel more connected and whole. 

Every time we get together, there always seems to be an "event" that defines our time together.  Last year was no exception.  We all decided to take the train to downtown Chicago and walk to the very large yacht that would take us on a dinner/cruise excursion past the beautiful skyline of Chicago.  It was a great plan, but we miscalculated the time it would take us walk to the cruise.  Halfway to the boat, we all realized that we would be lucky to make it.  So we all stepped up the pace, running, jogging, walking, running, jogging, and walking again when we were too tired to run any further.  I wish that someone would have followed us with a video camera.  I have no doubt that the video would have gone viral.  Some of us were trying to keep everyone together, others were running with strollers, others were crying out of sheer exhaustion, and others were hurrying back to get some of the slower family members because the boat had threatened to leave without us.  It was an "event" that will be etched in my mind for the rest of my life!

When we all did get on the boat and launched from shore, it was obvious that an entire team of people was necessary to make this massive boat run correctly and smoothly.  It was entirely ridiculous to imagine one person running that yacht.  It was impossible. Everyone had a job to do and each and every person that was a part of the crew had to do their job to make sure that we enjoyed our cruise and then returned to the exact same spot from which we had been docked to start.

But unlike the yacht crew that worked together to ensure our enjoyment and safety, some people try to lead their teams by themselves.  They see themselves as more important than another team member.  They think that they can row all by themselves and get the job done.  Others let the wind blow their company or team in whatever direction the economy takes them. Still others try to take on all the tasks by themselves without any help from the outside.  However, to make a company run smoothly and efficiently, it is imperative to recognize that each team member plays a vital and important role and that each member is necessary to make the company work to its fullest potential, very similar to the yacht crew at our family reunion.

I had a great time the day that we took a cruise in Chicago and also saw a great example of how teamwork is necessary to have a successful journey and arrive at your destination as efficiently as possible.