Teamwork: Not Just for Athletics

More than 2,500 years ago the ancient Greeks began developing athletic competitions at Olympia. But around the same time, about 5,300 miles to the east, the Chinese were practicing a ritual that would become a modern sport. On the banks of Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River crews of twenty to fifty would gather to row their Dragon Boats.

The ancient Chinese believed that dragons were the protectors of rivers, lakes, and seas as well as clouds, mists, and rain. To honor these mythical creatures boats would be adorned with decorative dragon heads before the celebration. It was believed that paying tribute to the Dragon Diety would help local farmers have a successful rice crop, as the dragon would provide water so the crops would remain fertile.

Dragon boats were seen as tradition for centuries, until the first competitive race of the modern era occurred in Hong Kong in 1976. Since then, competitive dragon boat racing has spread from the Yangtze to have a global impact. Why did I tell this story? Because NPD Payroll's own Faith Zeller is part of the Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce dragon boat team. Check out the video of their final 2011 race below:

To have a successful dragon boat racing team many moving parts must be working in sync. The drummer at the front of the boat sets the beat that the paddlers follow, which moves the boat forward. Not only must the drummer set a consistent tempo, but each paddler must be rowing in the same rhythm for the boat to pick up speed. If even one person on the dragon boat fails to work with the others the race is lost.

Cooperation in the workplace functions in the same way; if one person isn't in sync with the others then the hard work of the team is in vain. A successful employer sets the tempo for their business and will positively motivate their employees to achieve. Employees share an implicit trust, not just between them and the employer, but between each other. Trusting that your fellow employees will consistently perform at the highest level allows the individual employee to focus more on their tasks. By paddling together employees move the business forward.

No one person can paddle a dragon boat alone, and no one person can compete in business without the help of their team. Working together helps prevent your business from sinking, no lucky dragon necessary. I'll leave you today with a quote that served as a rallying cry for the Glastonbury Chamber Paddlers:

"Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."- Henry Ford