Do you know why geese fly in a ‘ ‘V ’ formation?
First of all what is V formation? It is the symmetric V-shaped flight formation of flights of geese, swans, ducks, and other migratory birds. V formations also improve the fuel efficiency of aircraft and are used on military flight missions. As a bird flaps, a rotating vortex of air rolls off each of its wingtips. These vortices mean that the air immediately behind the bird gets constantly pushed downwards, and the air behind it and off to the sides gets pushed upwards.
Most people would say that geese do it to save energy, which would be right. But it turns out that birds in a V are actually pulling off a feat that’s more complicated and more impressive than anyone had imagined. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock achieves a 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
The V formation allows them to work in a team. The leader helps his team by taking on the tough workload (helping reduce the wind resistance), then when it needs a break, another member of the team steps up to take the lead, and it goes on. So there is no goose working harder than the others, they take turns, equally sharing, and communicating when they can and when they cannot lead. And if one goose should fall out of formation for any reason, two others will always follow and stay with it until the goose is ready to join the team again.
Lesson we can learn here is that people who share a common direction and goal can get where they are going quicker and with less effort because they benefit from the momentum of the group moving around them.
Flying in a V formation also increases the visibility as every goose can see what’s happening in front of them and when a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the friction of flying alone. It then quickly adjusts its mistake and moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
This sort of cooperative behaviour is of great interest to scientists. Often, it’s found that animals will help other animals out, even if it isn’t in their self-interest if they’re related to that animal. There’s a good evolutionary reason for this: It means that they’re helping another creature carrying at least some of their shared genes to survive and pass them on to the next generation.
When a goose gets sick, or is wounded and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with their companion 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 the group.
Geese can't accomplish their vision on their own - the only way to make the journey possible is to work together and fly in the more aerodynamic V formation. Do we really work towards common goals that we couldn't achieve if we weren't a team? Or are our teams really just a group of people that work together or committees that make decisions? So we as humans have a lot to learn from geese. To cooperate and be a part of a team and help each other when needed is the key to survival in nature and also in our daily lives. Stay true to our core values and purposes, stand by each other in difficult times, make sure we praise people and give them the recognition they deserve, empower others to also lead, be humble to admit the challenges we face and seek help as soon as we get stuck and people who share a common direction and goal can get where they are going quicker and with less effort because they benefit from the momentum of the group moving around them. These are all basic rules that we humans should follow in every stage of our lives.
To learn how to be a part of a team and create an atmosphere for both associating and socializing together all goes through nature. How to survive in bad situations and overcome exceptional experiences are the key elements in invigorating the team spirit. To make the team share their experiences on how to be a part of a whole, make them reconnect with nature to remember some basic instincts so that they can recall some solutions they already know since the beginning of their daily lives. So we have lot to learn from wildlife and nature itself in order to be part of this life.
Keep in mind that a business's greatest asset is its people, and the relationships they cultivate significantly contribute to a positive and productive workplace. Trusting and depending on coworkers is essential for strong working relationships, and team-building events are excellent for fostering that trust within teams.
If you are looking for ideas for team-building activities or company kick-off events, you have many options with us! Please check our group tours below! In our programs, we organise hiking tours, kayak tours, and biking tours in Stockholm and its surroundings. We can arrange a survival course too. It's fantastic to learn how to survive as a group in the wilderness—there's nothing better than strengthening your bonds together.