Valley crossing

"Team work is the key to success"

Situation:

There are three people trying to cross a valley. The gap of the valley is in the range of a couple of feet. We assume that each of them has the same footstep. They have a pole of a convenient size and they have to cross the valley using the pole as a support. Direct jumping is fatal as the valley is deep.

We identify the three persons as A,B and C.

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Even though all the persons do equal work and the risk level is high for each, still risk each person takes is different and hence role has to be defined as to who starts, who stays in the middle and who becomes the last person to cross the valley.

The valley crossing exercise by the three persons teaches the important management lessons of coordination,teamwork,load sharing and skillfulness

In the process diagram above, the different states of the individual are also mentioned - like safe, half safe and full risky

Safe State: Its the state at which both the feet of the individual is on ground

Half Safe: When one of the feet is on ground and the other in air.

Risky state: It is the state when both the feet are in air and the individual is completely depending on other two.

The key learning of the activity are:-

Trust: It is one of the most important factor for the activity. There are half risky and risky states where the individual needs to trust and depend on the other 2 person. Similarly for any other group activity trust plays a very vital role.

Load Sharing: This activity involves sharing of the load among the three valley crossers. This is the same scenario we face in the corporate world where load needs to be shared among the team members working towards a common goal. The roles and responsibilities have to be divided among the members by the manager.

Planning : As a manager one need to come out with step by step plan in order to help the three members to cross the valley.The use of a pole and the systematic way in which the sequential process is undertaken and who follows whom in the sequence just describes the proper planning that is needed.

Cooperation : Help and effort each of the members contributed to team. It is a very important quality and value that every team should posses and is demonstrated clearly in the valley crossing exercise.

Coordination:  Members cooperation are put in systematic way so that the result can be channelized in order to receive the best output. Management strives to get achieve the cooperation of all individuals so target is reached.

Thus the success of the three idiots depends upon their concerted effort with proper planning.