Leadership, Strategy, Teamwork and Synergy – Background: Inventive Opportunity Series on Strategy and Leadership
Strategy
Well I’m back from Europe a little wiser and more appreciative of the differences and similarities in regional culture and terrain. My three weeks included a lot of driving, trains, planes with visits to Dresden, Germany; Paris, France; and (Florence, Bologna, Cinque Terra) Italy. The Dresden area brought many pleasant surprises. My daughter in-law’s grandparents provided us with a walking tour of the city of Dresden. The transformation and re-building of the city that was devastated in WWII is a testament to the leadership, strategy, endurance and fortitude of its people. Dresden is definitely worth a visit.
I attended a family wedding and reception approximately 20 kilometers south of Dresden, meeting and welcoming new family members and experiencing the uniqueness of the area, the friendly people and their local customs. This was my first German wedding and reception and was not aware of the national and local wedding customs. The wedding took place in a castle with a history dating back to the 1200′s, though the building where we were in was built a few centuries later. From the ambiance of the castle we drove in convoy (similar to Canada with a car horns a blazing) to the reception hall. This reception hall was designed for fun. Stompin Tom would love this place. The overall shape is like a large barn with sizable wooden beams, high ceilings, great sound systems, excellent DJ’s (father and brother of the bride) and a good floor for shaking. All we needed to do was fill the place with family and friends, and let the feasting begin; and that we did.
Sawing a Log! Practicing the skills of Synergy and Leadership.
Synergy
I was surprised to see the groom and bride in full dress grabbing a saw and going to work. Inquiring about the specific background of this I was told by the bride’s aunt that this demonstrates teamwork, a partnership that works together within the marriage. This symbolizes the first task the married couple do together. I took a quick look at the saw and noticed that it was mechanically designed that each of the participants had to do their own cutting. If one of the team tried to do all of the cutting the blade would bend and the cutting would not be efficient. Synergy – They had to work together to accomplish their goals, reinforcing each other produced a greater sum than working individually. The white globes on the picture were soap bubbles. I was told that they blew bubbles instead of throwing rice, which is considered food.
Contributing to the overall Leadership and Strategy. The Sound of Broken China and Porcelain. Another Opportunity to practice Teamwork.
Teamwork
At times it sometimes feels that we all could use a little luck. Prior to entering the reception hall the guest broke china and porcelain at the outside entrance of the hall. I was told that this is a very old custom done for good luck for the newlyweds. The definition of luck that I use and it is not my definition (not sure where it originated from). Luck is when opportunity and preparation meet at the same time. This tradition provides the Bride and Groom with another opportunity to practice teamwork. They are responsible for cleaning up the broken china and porcelain themselves.
Inventive Opportunity and Adding Value
Adding Value
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! It’s a baby, that is what I call adding value. No it is a line with baby clothes. The bride and Groom had to hang up baby clothes. A little humor can’t hurt. I guess the community is looking for a population increase. This custom is done for luck – May you have many healthy babies. During the reception many interactions took place. Games and skits were played for fun and jest. These games and skits also contributed to the comradeship and specialized the occasion. The next day we were back at the hall along with most of the friends and family that attended the wedding. The Strategy and Teamwork continued – everybody helped with the cleaning up.
Sustainability
Sustainability
In the region that I stayed in (approximately 20 kilometers south of Dresden), I found many windmills, producing energy for the area. Though I did not get a chance to talk to any planners, it appeared that small communities when possible were located close to wind energy sources as well as other resources (farming, food, water, etc.). My local community of approximately 200 to 400 homes had a number of businesses and professionals located either within the community or very close that serviced the local area. This contributes to the overall sustainability of the region.
Perry Woodworth, Technical Writer and Researcher
