Hike Theory of Team Management
Recently I climbed a mountain. During the journey I realized that scaling a mountain is so similar to building an effective team and managing it to achieve a stated objective. Following are the main analogies I found between the two.
- Where?: “Conditions of the environmental in which we operate.”
Amongst the millions of things in the world which are beyond our control, there are few which can be predicted using the tools and frameworks available. You should be able to predict such variables in order to take a calculated risk in executing a plan. For example, having the best trekkers in the world or having the best equipment may not matter at the end of the day if happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time (like facing an avalanche on your way up for instance). Similarly, you need to assess the external variables before formulating the strategy for execution and select the most optimal time for formation. This could come in the form of a PEST analysis, Porter’s five forces analysis etc.
2. How?: “The manner in which we are going to achieve the final objective.”
You need to be clear about what you want to achieve from the hike; some want to be on the top before sun rise or sun set, some want to be the first in the season to scale the mountain. Although the end objective is to be on the top of the mountain, variables like the path taken and number of pit stops depend on the conditions attached to the final objective. If we deduce the same for a team, all members need to be aware of and agree on the conditions attached to the final deliverable . Therefore, variables like time, competition and budget need to be considered before planning out the strategy execution.
3. Who?: “Strengths and Weaknesses of Team members.”
You get a variety of people in a hiking group with various skills and weaknesses; Some can take on a lot of weight but may climb slowly, some can find their way to the top without an issue, some can cook meals but may need to be assisted by someone throughout the climb. In a hike, it is paramount that you identify the strengths and weaknesses in choosing the roles for the members. If you ask the weakest member in the team in terms of physical strength to carry bulk of the weight then there is a higher probability that he/she is going to crash in the middle and fail the entire team. Likewise the group members needs to be assigned tasks based on their respective individual strengths and weaknesses.
4. What if?: “Always Expect the unexpected.”
In my recent hike, one of the strongest members in the team suddenly felt ill. It was never contemplated in the initial game plan. We had to draft a new plan, plan z, to get to the top. We redistributed the load within other members to give her an opportunity recover and also assigned a member to watch over her. Similarly when working with a team pay attention to Murphy’s Law: “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”.
5. What next?: “Know the elastic limits of the Team”
There is an extension to the objective of a hike, it is not only to get to the top but also to come down safely. If you rush the team to get to the top before the sun rise, some of the members may get there, whilst exceeding his or hers elasticity limit. Take a rubber band. There is a limit which you can extend the rubber band without destroying the elastic properties. Similarly if you rush and push members to achieve the objective of delivering the project beyond their limits, she or he may break and there is a high probability of you loosing the team member in the long run.
Therefore the analogies I found in building an effective team using the experience I gathered in a hike can be deduced to five main areas; Where, How, Who, What if and What next.
