Team Dynamics II

Okay I promised I would scribble on
team work and the dynamics I have found on boats....more over, about teams on boats that actually win.

An a priori is as follows: if you are either the "perpetual loser dog" i.e. not prepared to learn, or if you are a would be glamour puss sitting on the rail with a self professed rock star calling all the shots from the rump, then only read on if you are in a mind to listen-up and buck-up your ideas.


( I hate rail bitches who wear this months Oakley's, Slam or HL/ Musto squeeky clean and actually just tweak the cunningham! fuick off and sail dinghies again, you will learn something about humility if nothing else )

Dynamic I: Democracy and the Team-Brain

Now the ideal team for me has consultative management at the rear end, including me most often but this is not a pre-requisite. Also this management will be open to many democratic debates, and decision thrown to the rogues-council.

This is my #1 boat because they are the most enjoyable to sail with, and I try to instill this structure, behaviour and positive atmosphere on boats I come, with the aim to we drag the team up to some wins, or more of silver ware. Either as up-and-comers or experienced hands, they win a lot over time if they can keep the egos in place.

In terms of personnel management, there is often the need for some hiring- often yours truly bumps into "lonely girl, GSOH"- Usually they need just a couple of key personnel: more muscle in the cockpit area, or monkey work on the foredeck ; a boat speed maker ; a tactician who does not drive- these would be the most common new hires.

Often there are two or three people who could steer the boat to a win, and enough qaulity people to actually debate about weather, boat speed, tactics and strategy that good information passes, is evaluated and decisions are made.

One weakness in this democratic structure is that the helm can sometimes be waiting for a call, and feel a little off the train of thought while they kept the boat moving. This can lead to crucial hesitation and loses admittedly some races.:

Democracy as always should not be mistaken for anarchy: in democracy we appoint leaders while letting them know what we think. In anarchy everyone wants to lead: big ego anarchy boats are not really a place I have been or wanted to go. Certainly negative people on board who are such anarchists, who just are negative bitching pricks who actually aren't hot, just over inflated egos or those with frail ego defence mechanisms.

Dynamic II: dictatorship

well sometimes this works, I hate boats with only one manager as much as glamour puss boats with good HCs who could never make the cut in OD.

The domineering owner driver will win races if they are mentally good, and if they are able to get a stable, capable team together then they can win consistentl, y in HC fleets. But not in OD because this behviour deflects the best crew away and is wrong,

Dictators don't listen to crew very often and in fact they can be so alfa-male that they WON'T do what any crew member tells them!

dynamic III the corporate

Overall if you did the study you would maybe find that this is the most successful team dynamic across all types of team based sailing. ie not lasers.

Why? It is more organised and has grown through the learning curve delivering results and also acquisitions: they get the best crew, like the oxbridge/LSE or Ivy league get recruited into the big 5 mills of hell consulting.

They are not dicatorships because you either fit or you are out, you do not need to be dicated to. Also they appoint tacticians and need information flow from the
rail, and on plus 10 crew boats they have a wrangler no doubt.

Like the dictator though, they make up strategy and as a prospective rail meat- tactician you will be overlooked for bought-in blunt end consultants. You are a delivery bitch, and your MBA is out of date!

Best to be aqcuired by another corporate to move up the ladder ( The Irish are terrible tarts for this!) OR you would maybe have much more fun in the more entrepreneurial "democracies".

Dynamic V: The tension team

These are often family-centred crews or well knitted friends. They have often sailed together from dinghy days.

The key here to their success is that there is so much fucking arguement that mistakes are polished out of the process.

Given good enough sailing CVs or family history, this type of boat are very often the most regular winners in a local area, but fail to make it against the corporates at the big Regattas. In OD though, often they really do hit the top amateur ranks!


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Epilogue

Like a bad USA crime series from the late 60s, I present the epilogue to the team dynamic.

If you have another dynamic which is a definable species, please add to the fun by posting a reply.

Teams evolve and whither at some point. The democratic j24 becomes a corporate J12x down the line. Owners go bust, die, retire from active service....sack all the crew ....

I have resolutely chosen my type of boats: the expert democracy, and I stay clear of the other types, dabbling in corporates to keen up my own skills. But the fun is in the consultative, energetic boats with some good sailors and a lot of people wanting to learn and prepared to "go the extra mile......"


which may well be the next blog