"Into Thin Air"

I read a book on Saturday called Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. The book is a firsthand account of the disaster that occurred on a mission to climb Mt. Everest. It is a fascinating and horrifying read. I read the book in preparation for one of my major class assignments for grad school. My team is analyzing team change and process. We are also going to be studying another team that has successfully climbed – and descended – Mt. Everest. Through analyzing the two teams, we will gain insight into many aspects of successful team change.

One of the many things that stood out to me in the book is that this particular team was more of a collection of individuals rather than a real team. Many climbing teams are carefully constructed; members are chosen for their expertise and experience. In the case of the team chronicled in Into Thin Air, the members were not selected; they paid to be part of the mission (approximately $65,000 per person).

There are many problems that can arise from this lack of a true team: communication issues, lack of knowledge about each other and each other’s skills, lack of trust, and lack of commitment to the team. Without commitment to the team, an individual will often put their own goals first. This is a critical distinction between a collection of individuals and a team. As I thought about this distinction, I thought about all the rather boring and lackluster All-Star and Pro-Bowl games that I have watched. There is this wonderful collection of talent that can’t seem to come together and function as a team to win the game!

I wonder how many organizations spend countless dollars and hours collecting talent without ever bothering to help them actually become a high-performing team?

What’s your experience? How have you helped your team come together and achieve something special? What’s been your frustration as a team member?