By Bob Sager
THE COACH'S INGENIOUS DEMONSTRATION
A well-liked and respected high school track coach had a goal of demonstrating the value of teamwork. He recruited 422 volunteers to participate in the demonstration. They weren't told the purpose, only that they would be participating in an athletic endeavor and that all they had to do was run 100 meters.
The participants were an average lot. Some were very athletic, some were not; some were tall, some short, some thin, and some weren't. They were divided evenly along gender lines: 211 boys and 211 girls.
In the days leading up to the demonstration, the coach had timed each participant individually in the 100-meter dash. He calculated the aggregate time for all participants and then divided it by the number of runners to get an average time for the 100-meter distance. The average time was 14.5 seconds—not exactly world-class.
THE UNIQUE RELAY RACE
On the appointed Saturday morning, the volunteers met the coach or one of his assistants at various points along a course he had laid out. They were spaced exactly 100 meters apart along a course that ran 42,200 meters. The coach then informed the volunteers that they were participating in a unique relay race; each participant would be required to run a distance of 100 meters at their absolute fastest.
As the relay got underway, there was a great buzz along the route. Many spectators watched with anticipation and cheered for the runners. The further the event progressed, the more the coach, stopwatch in hand, smiled.
THE SURPRISING RESULTS
As the relay ended, all the participants gathered around the coach at the finish line to hear about the results. The coach addressed the crowd:
"How many of you consider yourselves to be world-class athletes?" Not one hand went up.
"The purpose of this event was to demonstrate how powerful teamwork is. The course for today's event was 42,200 meters long; translated into miles, that's 26.2—a full marathon. Does anybody here know what the world record time for a marathon run is?" There were some guesses, but nobody really knew.
"The world record time for an individual running a full marathon is 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 38 seconds. The 422 of you, by your own reckoning not world-class athletes, completed the same distance in 1 hour, 41 minutes, and 42 seconds! The point of this whole demonstration was to show the power of teamwork. By combining efforts, you folks were able to beat the best marathoner in the world. And not just by a little, but by a lot!"
THE LESSON
Never underestimate the power of teamwork. Remember this: No matter how world-class you are as an individual, you cannot outperform a big team, even if that team comprises average people.
This story serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people work together towards a common goal. In our personal and professional lives, we often face seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, by harnessing the power of teamwork, we can accomplish feats that far exceed our individual capabilities.
The next time you're faced with a daunting task, consider how you might leverage the power of teamwork. You might just surprise yourself with what you can achieve.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob Sager
Bob Sager, the Founder of SpearPoint Solutions, has a professional background that includes over three decades of experience in sales, leadership, and training. Combined with Purposeful Creative Thinking, he uses that experience to develop business strategies that help organizations increase sales and margins. Bob and his team of Certified Facilitators also train individuals and organizations on these methods of Purposeful Creative Thinking. Hence, they are better prepared to thrive in the modern economy.
Among other accomplishments, Bob is the inventor of the Purposeful Creative Thinking game, What's the BIG Idea?™—and author of the books: Discovering Your Greatness, 101 Freaking Brilliant Business Ideas, and his latest, More Freaking Brilliant Ideas.
Contact Bob Sager here.
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