The Story Of Survivor In The Workplace
“the tribe has spoken”
Survivor is MTV’s The Real World for professionals hosted in a remote location. The concept is almost identical except they’re adults and they’re in the middle of nowhere. The show is exactly like the title states, your job is to survive. You must form alliances, build trust, work together, solve challenges, and ultimately stay in the game. It’s survived 37 seasons on broadcast television because an audience of people are fascinated with the concept of the relationships, the drama and the insanity that hungry people will go through to win a million dollars.
While the show has dramatic moments and intense rivalries, the best part of the show happens at the very end during each broadcast. The remaining members of the tribe gather together and make the slow walk to the Tribal Council meeting. The members spend time debating the past days events, while alliances are tested and ultimately votes are cast as to who gets to stay and who has to go. While I haven’t watched the show in years it remains one of my favorite moments in reality television.
Jeff Probst, the long running host of the show gathers all the votes and counts them up. He gives a little recap speech of what took place and gets some feedback from the members. Then in a ceremonious moment he announces who will be voted “off the island.” Once the name is announced, the ceremony ends with the same consistent words; “the tribe has spoken.” At this point, Probst simmers the torch that has symbolically burned for the individual therefore ending their time on the island.
(takes a deep breath) What a rush huh?
“The tribe has spoken.” Four words that while spoken in a matter of two seconds completely end a team members run on this show are in complete parallel with the way that your teams can help shape, develop, and or kill your team culture or a team members path.
Consider your team a tribe of Survivor contestants. Each week they are tested with their metrics and goals. We put them through a series of challenges including contests, hoopla recognition, end of month leaderboards and daily shoutouts. They form relationships or alliances with their peers to have their back when things aren’t going right and support them in their journey. As the Manager of the team are the host of all his controlled chaos and adventure. Your job is to make sure they complete the tasks and assign a winner at the end. At the end of the month you stack rank them and align on leaders within the group.
On the flip side, imagine when all the controlled chaos previously mentioned doesn’t go to plan. What if they decide they don’t like the way things are going or the plan you’ve communicated doesn’t work? What happens if you’re not hearing the whispers or avoiding those pitfalls you’ve previously run into while failing to correct your leadership behavior or team behavior. What happens if while navigating the speed and pace of the business you don’t stop to take time to listen to the tribal council?
To take this one step further, what happens if a member of the council isn’t pulling their weight therefore causing additional team members to have to step up. After a while, the alliances begin to break, the hunger pains start to take over and the strong bonds or relationships are tested. If you’re not investigating your business consistently you lose the opportunity to mend the fence between the council members.
After a while the members of the council begin to gather with or in some cases without you. The members of the council will speak and they will make decisions on who stays or who goes. Metaphorically those who “go” will be an outcast in the group and no longer brought along for future opportunities.
The moment; “the tribe has spoken” about a particular individual, process, the culture, or the vision for the future is the moment you as a leader have either won or lost your team.
Your job as a leader is to consistently gather this tribal council and hear their feedback. You must stay close to your team to know what’s happening both good, bad or indifferent.
As a leader I’ve watched Tribal Council’s speak several times. I’ve guided it, I’ve stepped in the middle of it, and I’ve listened to it.
If you fail to gather the Tribal Council and listen before they gather themselves then; “the tribe will have spoken” and you’ll be needing to figure out the next path as a leader with your team.
Investigate your business, inspect what needs to be respected, build strong relationships with your team with consistent feedback, hear the whispers, and assemble the council to work together to solve problems.
There’s never been an episode of Survivor that ends with the host overriding the Tribal Council’s decision. Once the torch is extinguished, it’s over.
