Dear Friends: I agree that women tend to personalize conflict and sadly that
has reared its ugly head on this list. A friend on another list sent this
and I thought it relevant to the recent ILCA-related discussion.
>
>               A LESSON (in collaboration) FROM THE GEESE
>
>As each bird flaps its wing, it creates an "uplift" for the bird
>following.  By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% flying
>range than if each bird flew alone.
>
>Lesson:  People who share a common direction and sense of community can
>get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on
>the thrust of one another.
>
>Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and
>resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to
>take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediately in front.
>
>Lesson:  If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation
>with those who are headed where we want to go.
>
>When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and
>another goose flies at the point position.
>
>Lesson:  It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks, and sharing
>leadership - with people, as with geese, interdependent with each other.
>
>The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to
>keep up their speed.
>
>Lesson:  We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging - not
>something less helpful.
>
>When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of
>formation and follow him down to help and protect him.  They stay with him
>until he is either able to fly again or dies.  Then they launch out on
>their own, with another formation or to catch up with their flock.
>
>Lesson:  If we have as much sense as the geese, we'll stand by each other
>like that.


Hoping we'll draw strength from one another to improve our professional
organization,
Mary Alice Phillips, IBCLC
Wamego, Kansas