INSPIRING YOUR TEAM

Our biologist-guide pointed to a rather unusual event. At his suggestion, the corporate group we were leading in a training week pointed their cameras high into the treetops of the Manuel Antonio National Park on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. A very large number of Whiteface monkeys - contrary to habit - were huddled together in one tree.

Capuchins are small white-faced monkeys. You will usually find small groups of males roaming the edges of their large territory, while single females travel solo. Mothers will stay with the offspring, protected at the center of the area by a select few males.

Now a very large mixed group were huddled together high in a giant tree, their excited chatter focused on a specific bit of foliage a short distance from there.

Someone with a zoom lens pointed to a large male, a slightly smaller one and two larger juveniles cautiously moving through the trees to a place directly above the focus of attention. Then, they started to jump around from branch to branch in a very aggressive way.

Suddenly, a large branch broke under the weight of the two bigger males and fell to the ground. There was silence as they struggled to regain their balance. Steady, they waited for about 5 minutes and then the biggest simian cautiously headed down.

Once on the ground, he grabbed a piece of the broken branch - a club over three feet long - stood up and smashed it down with such force that it jarred from his hands as it hit. He grabbed it again and smashed down another 50 times at least.

The frenzied younger monkeys jumped up and down, cheering him with every blow, and the other large male then grabbed a big stick, joined the alpha male, and smashed down in tempo.

After the attack which lasted some 20 minutes, they all calmed down and the alpha-male wandered away. The others climbed back to the treetops and the cluster that had gathered in there broke apart.

Amazed, the biologist rushed to show us why that old monkey had organized his tribe in that way. He found the six foot long body of a
terciopelo - a "fer-de-lance" - one of the deadliest snake in the jungle.

Even if every blow had not landed, the reptile's skull was fractured, sections of its skeleton were exposed and it had many lacerations. We could easily appreciate how the old Capuchin had led his tribe to safety... and to greatness. The juveniles had just learned how to kill a snake and everyone had enthusiastically supported the effort.

If you want to stimulate your own team to great heights, you'll need a project that is important enough to get everyone excited, committed and connected.

Here are 8 tips to inspire people:
1. Solicit help by listening to what other people want. Creative listening is the key to enrollment because it lets you connect other people's needs to your own.
2. Define a project that will bind you and the others to goals, tasks, timelines and rules.
3. Bring all of your energy to coordinating the project; think of it as something that must be done.
4. Expect a few breakdowns in communication.
5. Expects breakthroughs you should celebrate.
6. Take responsibility for every detail - i.e. for the success of every step.
7. Look for feedback and constantly adjust.
8. Pace yourself ...as everything takes more time than planned.
And if your team rids the jungle of a deadly snake or accomplishes anything good... then make sure the rest of us know about it and can truly appreciate it.