Fast Company article - October, 1998 "Life in the Fast Lane" by Chuck Salter Down-loaded from the internet Prepared by Vince Crary 11-12-98 This article is an interview with Ray Evernham, crew chief for Jeff Gordon's NASCAR's racing team. Evernham talks about why the team has been such a success. Some of his points can be compared to by own experiences. When the team was formed, no one had any Winston Cup experience. They wanted "people who had the desire and intelligence needed to excel". By getting different kinds of people, the team did things differently. I found this to be very interesting. When I had my own business, I looked for people who had experience. Thinking back, our best people didn't have experience, but they thought things through, They did things differently and often better. The article stresses that the team, known as the Rainbow Warriors, has a better I.Q. "because none of us is as smart as all of us". When the team meets, chairs are always in a circle because "that's a way of saying that we are stronger as a team than we are on our own". I feel that the idea of team is very positive. I know looking at sports, business, or work situations, when you have a strong team and all members are respected and included in decisions, things click and positive things happen. The author relates how during a race Evernham likes to take a risk but not a gamble. I feel in my work taking a risk can add value. I have worked with dairy producers on intensive grazing when it wasn't a real popular thing to do. Now beef and dairy producers are doing it and doing it with success. I have found the farmers in the sustainable farming association have been producers who are great sources of information on intensive grazing. Not many Extension Educators have gotten involved with these producers, but my experiences have been very positive. In the shop the Rainbow Warriors have this sign posted: "Success is a ruthless competitor for it flatters and nourishes our weakness and lulls us into complacency." I think this is a sign we could all make and put up in our places of work and at home. I feel we all need to experience success, but we need to remember to not get lulled into complacency at work or at home. Discussion: In talking with others about the article, they all liked the information and found it to have some excellent points. My wife, a Hospice nurse, thought it too long an article to take to their team meeting, but she enjoyed the article also. I am going to suggest one more time taking the article to the Hospice group with each copy highlighted where specific points about the team are located throughout the article.

-- Anonymous, November 30, 1998

Answers

I read your articles for Dec,Jan,Feb and Mar before I read this one. They were organized by paragraphs and much easier to read than this one. However, I appreciate how you included who you discussed this article with. Please mention a little about the people you discussed the articles with in the future. I don't want their names, but please include a little background information about them.

You did a great job relating this article to your work at extension.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 1999