Life in the Fast Lane by Chuck Salter

My husband is a fan of NASCAR racing and often on a lazy Sunday afternoon you'll find him in front of a race. I'll often be in the same room, so I "get" to watch too. I don't profess to be a big fan, but I've been known to get a little excited as a race nears the finish line. I don't understand all the strategies a race team follows, but I do understand the concepts behind the team, especially those that support teamwork. I like the philosophies put forth by Ray Evernham, the crew chief for Jeff Gordon. He takes leadership seriously and has put many of the strategies he has read about to work for the team. He recognizes the strengths of the team vs. the individual and rewards the team based on those efforts. As a crew chief he wouldn't need to share the benefits he receives from bonuses or speaking engagements, but he feels the team has brought him to the point where he has gotten those opportunities, so they share the benefits with him. Definitely an interesting concept when it comes to promoting team unity. As I watch these races on TV, I often consider the decisions a gamble because you never know how the outcome will be. Ray says they are never a gamble, but a risk. He has calculated everything out ahead of time and has scenarios for different situations that could occur. I am amazed to realize how calculated each and every decision is and how each outcome has been considered so thoroughly in each situation. Another philosophy Ray has is to not strut your stuff. When a team has been as successful as the Jeff Gordon team, you carry the pressure of high expectations from others. Many who have been successful have become cocky and arrogant and this team doesn't show that. It's one thing to know you have the formula for achieving and another to boast about what that formula will do. There are many factors that can change the result of that formula so you have to go through all the steps like everyone else. Just because you are good or have had success doesn't mean you can skip a step in that formula. We've all seen the results of others who have missed a crucial step. Success can be your biggest competition if you don't watch how you handle that success. I've seen football teams who have had a great season and are expected to win it all and have lost because they haven't followed their formula the same for each game. They become overly confident in their ability and let the opponents apparent lack of skill or drive lull them into an attitude of complacency. They often lose because they underestimated the opponent. Sometimes I wonder if the Extension Service is following the same formula for success on a daily basis, or if that formula has been passed along to all the members of the team. I feel there are a number of programs that have been successful as a "flash in the pan," but no one carries the program to others. As educators, we often reinvent the wheel because others don't share, whether programs, fact sheets or information. Our success lies in the success of the whole organization, not just the individual or work team who got the recognition. Often when you see the recognition, you don't hear of other key players or contributors, you only get the winner. The "Rainbow Warriors" have become as recognized as Jeff Gordon because they are credited with every win, when he takes his place in the winners circle. As I visited with a friend about this article, she commented that these strategies are great, but you need to have a team concept that everyone buys into. She works in a school, and doesn't see everyone buying into the team mode. Too many teachers feel their job is teaching their classroom of students, not serving on committees, etc. that are a part of the school system. They have a great principal, but there are teachers in the school that haven't recognized him as the a member of the team, he is still "their boss." My teacher friend thought she should take this article to school and see how the principal thought they could build off of it. Then she thought she could be real subtle and leave the article lay on the table in the teachers lounge and see what kind of discussion it would start. She thought that would be a valuable step in getting the teamwork discussion started! I know I will watch the next NASCAR race with a new respect and understanding of the decision s being made in a split second. I'll also be watching the teamwork around me on the job and how I can instill that spirit of a common goal in the players.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 1999

Answers

Good summary and observations about your work with Extension. Please type your article summary in paragraph format so it is easier to read.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1999