Yes, flying sucks
I don’t fly that often, but one thing I’ve noticed when I do, is the chaos and inefficiency caused by passenger behaviors on almost every flight experience I have. People that hold up the security check because they have a pocket full of change (or full wine bottles in their bag, which I’ve seen once); people that go through the line even when it isn’t their boarding zone; people with bags and personal items that are way, way larger than the guidelines; the mad rush when the plane lands and everyone crams the aisle trying to get out (hey, the doors aren’t even open yet. You’re not going anywhere!). I’ve had multiple flights where people have sat in seats that aren’t their assigned ones, like taking the exit row, as if they assumed no one else would want those seats.
Individual self-interest
Reflecting on this after a recent trip, it made me think about a couple of things. One, I’m glad we never got to the flying cars future, because think of all the accidents and air rage incidents. Two, the flying experience is a good example of individuals acting solely on their self-interest, which diminishes the likelihood of meeting their goals.
Let’s say you are that person skipping the line, regularly bothering the gate agent, sitting in the wrong seat, leaving a mess, etc… First off, if you are that person, stop being so annoying. But also, you are likely most interested in having an on-time (or early), problem free flight to your destination. What you are actually doing is introducing disruptions that cause poor group dynamics. Each case of individual self-interest contributes to delaying progress for the group as a whole (and thus, the individual’s best interest).
Obviously, this isn’t just a problem with selfish travelers (but we should all agree to shame them). Your teams may have people putting their self above the team goals (even subconsciously). The person that thinks they can do it better on their own. The person that wants to be the expert, so doesn’t share knowledge. The person that doesn’t agree with the direction. Misses or disrupts meetings. Adds features because they think they’re important. Gives poor direction. Always negative. Doesn’t speak up when seeing these behaviors in others.
Being a team
It’s not an easy thing to fix. In some cases, if those team members are too problematic, escalation to their or your supervisor may be appropriate. However, it is often better addressed through attention, communication, and expectations. Pay attention to the behaviors of your peers and contributors, and see how they impact others. Have the conversational courage to bring them up. A good team should be comfortable in talking about concerns with each other, but if not, focus on what behaviors the team could do to be more efficient without specifically calling out the issues that are disruptive. Of course, you can also do some team building activities, but personally, I dislike them (you aren’t imagining all those groans and eye rolls). More important than bonding games is setting clear expectations for the team. That’s not just what the team is supposed to deliver, but also setting roles and responsibilities, ceremony cadence, touchpoints, and other expectations on how the team should function. By the way, you’ll have the best buy-in if the team can help form some (or most) of those items.
Smooth landing
When you make your smooth descent to your destination, and get out of that humid, recycled air of the plane, make sure your team reflects on what works well. Agile practitioners do this regularly through the retrospective process (which is another good point to address self-serving disruptions). However you do it, remember positive reinforcement for strengthening those team positive behaviors.
Also, does anyone know if train passengers are more pleasant?
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