On the creation of high-performing teams

Creating high-performing teams is based on synergy. It means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One plus one equals three or more. This is the dream in every organization. Although the term often is related to management it can be used in a variety of other disciplines, too.

Let´s take a look at this team: dog and handler. The situation: a car-accident has occurred and a deer has been wounded. Now it has disappeared somewhere in the woods. The local forest ranger needs help with tracking it. Snapping on the harness, the handler attaches the long lead and watches his partner drop its muzzle towards the ground and start slowly moving along an unseen line. They are following a scent so faint that no human could recognize it, yet the dog leads on. With both amazement and admiration of his working friend, the handler follows along behind; assisting as a part of the team, sometimes questioning but always assuring his partner.

High-performing teams always derive from high-relating individuals. This is very obvious in sports. A sport that I have been very addicted to is rowing. In rowing there is a tender line between success and flop. Most successful rowing nations are in general agreement as to what is efficient for high performance, namely that a quick, lively connection is required at the moment the blade enters the water; that the blade should be accelerated throughout the stroke and that the movement of the recovery should be as relaxed and controlled as possible. And there is one more detail that is important in high-performance rowing, especially in boats like the quad, four and the eight: synchronization.

At the Royal Technical Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, a technique (called sonification) has been used which is based on advanced audio feedback. Sonification is the use of non-speech audio to convey information or perceptualize data. The goal of the Swedish study is to be aware of the boat`s movement and to keep a steady rate of the stroke so that the boat can move faster.

In rowing the ears are always busy. In experiments it was found that when rowers wore ear-plugs their performance was reduced. The skiff is full of sounds produced by movement through the water, the oars, the rowlocks, the seats and the physical exertions of the rowers. The rowers also listen to the other skiffs in a race. This raises the possibility that the rowers could be taught to listen to auditory cues about synchronicity, rowing motion and acceleration that are natural consequences of rowing.