When Is A Herd A Team?

by Razzle Dazzle

Hi. Razzle Dazzle here. 

I think I was asked to write this article because I tend to be a bit of a ham. I love to be the center of attention, and I love to “razzle dazzle” people when they visit the Ranch. I think they think writing this article is going to teach me something while I’m teaching you. But I have a surprise for everybody – I know all of this, but I don’t always feel like playing along. I’d rather be an individual! 

I know what a team is. I know that when I insist on being the center of attention, I am not being part of the team. I also know that when the humans tie us to the fence with a rope and Shanelle unties all of us and leads us off to do something fun, like exploring, we are a herd, not a team. When we do this, Shanelle is the leader and the rest of us are the followers. That’s not a team.

You are probably thinking that a small herd like ours is a team when all of us are harnessed to a wagon and asked to pull it. This is a different meaning of team. That is a team of horses pulling a wagon because they are in those harnesses and because some human is slapping leather straps against their backs and hollering for them to pull the wagon. It is, I guess, a little closer to what a team is than when Shanelle leads and we follow. 

First, let me tell you a few things about this herd. Please don’t tell any of the humans I said this but we are very pampered. We don’t have to do the kind of work many other horses have to do. In fact, as a result of a recent labor negotiation, we never have to pull wagons. We negotiated an agreement with the mules on the next ranch and agreed to let them do all pulling of wagons. Yes, I said ‘agreed’. They think they won that labor dispute!

So, when is a herd a team? This herd is a team when we are all working toward a common goal – that is usually training humans. So my definition of a team is this: A team is a collection of disparate creatures coming together and working together to achieve a common goal.

This can be very difficult for me because I have to be part of the team and try not to be a stand-out personality all the time. But it can also be a lot of fun to be part of a team. It certainly makes the job easier and the outcomes better. 

Putting together an effective team is about putting the right horses on the team. An effective team doesn’t need 6 horses who know the same things and do the same things the same way, especially thinking. Teams work best when they are made up of horses with different knowledge and different skills that are all needed to accomplish the goal. 

So the first step in effective teaming is: define the goal and the skills and knowledge needed to accomplish the goal. Then find the horses with the skills and knowledge you need and make them part of the team. This could mean that no two horses on the team have ever worked together before and that no two horses on the team have the same knowledge base or skill set.

The second step is probably the most important. Unfortunately, this is the step humans often try to skip. The second step is for the team to get to know and understand each other before they start thinking about the goal. You see, horses are like people – no two are alike. So there is a need to check each other out. Find out how each team member thinks and works and creates and collaborates. If leadership put together a good team, some of the horses will be right-brain dominant and others will be left-brain dominant; some will be highly structured and others will be totally unstructured; some will be take charge kinds of people and others will lead by facilitating; some will grab an idea and take off at a gallop until they do their task and others will just canter along at the same pace until they finish. 

This is the beauty of a team. When the one who took off at a gallop is winded and stops, the one cantering will still be moving the team forward. But the trick is to get to know one another and understand which one is the right horse for each task because of the way they think or work. Around here we call that understanding and leveraging Natural Effectiveness™. When teams start by looking at each individual’s Natural Effectiveness, they will know how to approach the task when it is given to them.

Step three, then, is to present the task and the goal to the team and step out of the way so the team can decide how to best use the talents and Natural Effectiveness™ of each member of the team to accomplish the goal most efficiently and successfully. Here’s an example: Shanelle is our undisputed leader. But I am stronger and bigger than Shanelle. Key is really good at keeping the young ones in line. And Icee and Indy are just fillies, but they are very creative. So, when we need to work as a team, Shanelle usually gets us together and organized, makes sure everyone has a say, and sets the pace. If someone needs to go off and do something alone, that is usually me. When we need new ideas, we turn to Icee and Indy to get creative. And Key keeps us on pace, on track, and on schedule. And you would be amazed by what we can do together!

Understanding when to be a herd and when to be a team makes all the difference in getting things done, especially coaching humans. When all of us respect the way the others work best and use their natural strengths, we are able to plan what we need to do, set a pace and a direction, do what each of us does best, and still all end up at the goal together. And that’s when being part of a team is really fun.

Happy teamwork!