I have been reading a book focused on solving problems. It is called “Thinkertoys” by Michael Michalko. The book goes into many ways to noodle out the solution to a problem, be it something from business like sales, or something you might be trying to do. It goes into how groups of people may solve a problem and he gives one example about working together that I quote below:
Working together in God’s creation:
Next time you see geese flying along in V formation, you should consider what science has discovered about why they fly that way, which provides good model of teamwork. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. The geese get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.
When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether we’re talking about people working in an organization or geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. We should encourage our leaders as well with shows of encouragement.
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation, to catch up with their group. We should help others keep up with the rest at work by working with them.