Get the Team on Board!
Mar 30, 2016
1 min read
I flew home from Chicago and was lucky enough to sit in a row with a side exit door. With that seat came LOTS of leg room and a great window view, but it also presented more than just a comfortable ride home; I had responsibilities and a decision to make! Was I willing to spend a few extra moments reading the airplane map and instruction card located conveniently in the seat pocket to my front left? Was I capable of being a leader and taking action if my fellow fliers needed me? Would I physically be able to open that door in the unlikely event of an emergency landing? Passengers anxious to hear seatbelt and oxygen mask instructions would have to wait…the flight attendant looked those of us sitting in these two special rows right in the eyes and said he needed a “YES” from each of us before preparations for departure could proceed. One by one, we all emphatically said what he wanted to hear, a hearty “Yes!”
Afterward, I sat there and thought about his method for not only engaging this small group of strangers but also getting us on board with the mission at hand. Within seconds, we were a team, agreeing to work toward a common goal. How do you engage your teams? I think I might try that “Yes!” thing myself.
Afterward, I sat there and thought about his method for not only engaging this small group of strangers but also getting us on board with the mission at hand. Within seconds, we were a team, agreeing to work toward a common goal. How do you engage your teams? I think I might try that “Yes!” thing myself.