Four-Legged Leadership
Who thought a dogsledding trip would give me a fresh, insightful view of leadership and teamwork? I certainly didn’t. I was focused on a totally different aspect, like not freezing to death. Being a sun-loving, heat-seeking, southern woman, camping out in negative thirty degrees Fahrenheit essentially meant misery and death. I can't express how far outside my comfort zone this trip was for me. If it hadn’t been for the fabulous people going, the remarkable dogs, and the assurance of a reputable company, there is no way I would have stepped outside of my warm, cozy box. But I did, and I am so glad I did.
Except for what we had seen on TV and read in books, none of us knew a thing about real life dogsledding. Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, our outfitter, in Ely, MN knew it, too, and supplied us all with multiple videos, and instructions to prepare us. From the first minute we arrived and met our two leaders and sled dogs, the necessity of effective leadership, training, and teamwork became crystal clear. In this industry, it was a matter of safety and reputation. It was critical.
While gearing up and preparing to go out into the great, white frontier for three days and nights, the leaders carefully guided us through how they were selecting our twenty dogs. They spent time and effort discussing the design of each sled’s dog team, which consisted of two lead dogs, one swing dog, and two wheel dogs. Listening to their discussion, knowledge and insight into each dog’s strengths, weaknesses, personalities, experience, and age made me reflect on how critical this understanding is for maximizing the efforts of any team. Our safety and the success of this trip were now dependent upon how effectively these leaders and dog teams performed.
When was the last time you and your team spent a day away from the practice discussing team strengths, weaknesses, efficiencies, stress-reduction, and customer service? If it has been more than a year, it is overdue.
After petting, encouraging, and conversing with each dog, our leaders picked up their cross-country skis in preparation. Immediately, the dogs jumped to attention, faced forward, and began barking with enthusiasm. As demonstrated by their body language, the dogs clearly understood the expectations of their leaders.
One of the most important responsibilities of a progressive leader is to present and discuss with your team members the ultimate goals for your practice along with a list of the ethical guidelines you expect them to follow while achieving it.
Establishing clear expectations in the form of best-practice operating systems, a comprehensive employee handbook, and detailed job descriptions is the secret to a high performing team.
It wasn’t long before all four sleds were off and running. Wystan, one of our leaders, skied directly in front of our dog team. Peter, the other leader, skied at the front of all the sleds. Our lead dog pair consisted of a seasoned veteran Canadian Inuit and a young Inuit trainee, Lena and Linus, respectively. Linus, our trainee, was the reason Wystan skied right in front of our dog team. Linus, being in training, needed more direct attention than the seasoned dogs. The leaders had recognized traits in Linus that they felt could make him a skilled and powerful lead dog. The work was in process.
As the leader of your team, are you offering additional personal attention and direction to your newest team members? It can be in the form of encouragement, assistance, questions, and appreciation. Their ability to get onboard faster and more effectively depends on this leader feedback.
The use of mentors can be a powerful tool for not just developing employees but also for developing leaders or anyone wishing to perfect their skills and update their knowledge.
Before departing, Wystan and Peter stressed how important it was for us to pet, praise, and encourage the dogs. They also urged us to get involved during meal time. It was part of our responsibilities and a critical part of rewarding the dogs for their extremely hard work and patience pulling people like us who had no idea what we were doing.
How are you motivating your team members to work harder and more effectively with patients who are often afraid, anxious, or difficult? Why would anyone want to work harder if they didn’t share in the rewards?
It was halfway through our trip. I hadn’t frozen to death, and Linus and Lena were a great team as lead dogs. Things were looking good. Linus’s leader, Wystan, however, had to relocate to another part of the sled train. Lena took over as Linus’s leader and everything was still great. Then we came to a point when our sled train was making a huge arc around the lake. Across the lake and diagonal from the current sled path, Linus spotted Peter at the head of the train. You could read it in Linus’s body language, he needed additional direction and there he saw it far across the lake. Linus made a sharp right turn pushing Lena and the team off the trail in an attempt to cross the lake in four feet of unpacked snow. Linus was taking a shortcut. Lena pushed and pushed, but Linus needed more leadership. So, off the groomed trail our five dogs and sled went until our dogs were shoulder deep in snow and couldn’t move. It was all of twelve feet off the path; the two of us on the sled were fine, barely off the trail. Promptly, Wystan, came to get Linus and our dog team quickly back on track.
Are you too far away from your team members? Have they lost sight of the purpose, process, and rewards of their work? Are they bogged down, disengaged, or perhaps given up? Are they taking shortcuts, minimizing customer service, or simply going through the motions? Your employees need and want direction, approval, appreciation, and guidance on how to be successful in their roles at your practice.
Are you coaching new members through learning from their mistakes?
I could go on and on about the many things I learned and loved on this dogsledding trip. It was truly a fantastic experience thanks to the expert leadership of Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge and their devoted, sled dogs.
What are you doing to develop your leadership skills and your practice’s teamwork?
With our current workforce shortages, can you afford for your team members to become discouraged and start looking for another work opportunity?
Do you have the time, energy, and leadership knowledge to motivate, and revive your employees and practice? If not, Baird Concepts does and can. Contact us today!
