Team Work: Lessons from the Flight of Geese

It’s just today that I realized how busy I had been for the past two weeks when I visited my blogs. I made it a point to update my blogs at least once a week to increase my Alexa rank. Alexa is a quick and easy way to estimate how popular your site is compared to other sites. Ratings start from 1 to 20,000,000 and even beyond. The lower the number, the better your rating is. That  has become my self imposed challenge  to test my reflexes without necessarily stressing myself.  Assessing the backlog vis-à-vis  my limits, I decided to repost my previous blogs according to their value and relevance. As such, I find meaning in the following article  on team work which was published April 26,2012 to commemorate the 10th year of the revival of  our Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) program.

A month delay in the data gathering of one advisee, as discussed in the previous post, has a domino effect on our overall schedule. Supposedly, the data gathered in December were scheduled for processing in January. Just the time another advisee filed her official leave from employment for data gathering. In this way, there would be focus in advising work.

However, due to previously cited voluntary involvement of a nun advisee, the two groups conducted data gathering simultaneously resulting to an overlap in the schedule of organization of data and processing. With the scrambled schedule, we were compelled to confront the pressures we wanted to avoid. More so, that another advisee was affected by the changes of schedule of the accreditation involving our own department.

The photographer may not know it,

but her shots represent the process
we have experienced as a team.
From gloom to bright, happy graduates
 deserve their smiles.
 Photo below (L-R) Kareen Jay Diesto,
Sr. Aubrey Casimiro,
Araceli Tondo, the author, 

and Carol Kay Cortuna- Blando

Much as I wanted to keep my cool to ease the tension, there were times when I had to be realistic in assessing the situation. Especially, that I am still in the process of recuperating from critical illness which has dramatically changed my lifestyle.

While in the past, I could work effectively under pressures, I have learned to avoid such situation after my ailment. Previously, I loved doing homework; especially rush paper work until early morning. My mind had been conditioned to function well within that period.

However, since my sickness, I have disciplined myself to sleep early with strict resolve not to bring home any school or office assignment. Conscious of health, I avoided any stressful activity that would trigger the recurrence of my illness.

Faced with the dilemma vis-à-vis the aforementioned limitations, we braved the tough times with faith in God and team work. I encouraged them to share with one another the development of their work to challenge each other. Similarly, the under development to make each one aware that she is not alone in such situation. It is in this context that the lessons from the flying geese related to team work became relevant to both of us.

My first encounter with the flight of the geese concept was in 2004 when I participated in the Phil-Australia Short Term Course on Technology Training Program (PASTT) by Queensland University conducted in Makati City. Sponsored by the Caucus of Development (CODE) NGOs, the training was focused on Strategic Human Resource Management for NGOs. One of the resource persons presented a power point on the Fight of Geese and related the lessons to team work in the organization. Since then, I have been using the concept in my classes, trainings, seminars and other speaking engagements.

The flight of geese is summarized on this link. Five lessons can be gleaned from the story, as follows:

Foremost, sharing the same direction and working as a team get us to the destination quicker and easier. By helping ourselves, the accomplishment is greater.

Secondly, staying in tune and united beside those who are going in the same direction, the effort will be less. It will be easier and pleasing to reach the goals. Everyone will be inclined to accept and give help.

Thirdly, to share the leadership, there must be mutual respect all the times. Sharing involves even the hardest problem and tasks. It is also manifested in gathering of abilities, and combining our faculties, talents and resources.

The fourth lesson states: When there is courage and encouragement, the progress is greater. A timely word of encouragement always motivates, helps and strengthens. It produces the best benefits.

Finally, to stay beside each other no matter what the difference specially in times of difficulties and great challenges.

TEAM THAT WORKS. (L-R) Carol Kay Cortuna- Blando, the author,
 Araceli Tondo,  Sr. Aubrey Casimiro, and Kareen Jay Diesto

Applying the aforementioned lessons  made us overcome the difficulties. In the most critical times, they took over my classes so that I could work with their papers. Every one tried to encourage one another especially when some were tempted to give up. At one instance, when I reached my own limitation, our office secretary, Carol Kay, who is also an advisee reminded me of the good words of the Dean of the Graduate Studies for me. Her high regard and trust and confidence on me as far as writing and thesis advising is concerned served as impetus to stretch beyond my limits. In fact, I was able to conquer my fear when in two instances, I succeeded to stay overnight working on their paper to beat the deadline in the final stage.  

Indeed, team work made us rise to meet challenges. We found ourselves tougher than the tough times we encountered.

The sufferings of Jesus: A lawyer's incursion into Christian Theology

Last of 2 parts

The beauty and completeness of the entire universe was marred by the wrong moral decision of supposedly crowning glory of God’s creation. Humanity missed the opportunity to live in paradise forever by willful disobedience. As such, the whole creation was transformed from the state of being very good to a situation where “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.“(Romans 8:22 ESV).

Humanly speaking, the Fall of man (and woman, too) has put God in a dilemma. How can He show His love to humankind without breaking His own rule? The prohibition was clear from the start including the consequent penalty. To borrow Atty. Edwin R. Catacutan’s argument in his book Creation, Fall and Redemption, “was there a way to remove the cup of death from man without God breaking His word?”By all indication, God’s enemy has the upper hand and might have been amused in watching how God resolve the issue. As ever consistent in His words and actions, God’s solution makes Jesus suffering absolutely significant.

As discussed in the previous blog, justice requires a redeemer to the sentenced humanity. Legally, angels are disqualified, having no physical body and subsequent death. As progeny of Adam already burdened with own death, nobody from the human race is qualified. Hence, no one can substitute for another, or for own self, despite willful act. Neither can any one force another to sacrifice for himself. Purchasing redemption is also a legal impossibility. For, as the author argues, with reference to the bible, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24.1)

When all redemption procedures fail, grace is a necessity. In fact, it is the only redemptive option. Atty. Catacutan discussed a two-stage process in redemption by grace. The first is the payment, or justice –compliance stage. The second is the relationship-claiming stage wherein any one who wants to avail of the redeeming grace must claim his relationship to the Savior.

In the first stage, somebody who is qualified, and who can die, must do the substitute death sacrifice to comply with the justice requirement of God. The only option is a kinsman of the human race who is able and willing to do the job. A truly man, with flesh and blood not contaminated by sinful nature, who can truly experience death. The only mathematical solution is a virgin birth – child of a woman, begotten of the Holy Spirit. That way the offspring, while being man, can also be truly God who is able to perform task of redeemer. This is the significance of the incarnation as popularized by the Christmas story and the subsequent Passion and Resurrection narrative.

Paul, the apostle, has explicitly described the significance of Jesus sufferings in his letter to the Philippians: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

From the start, Jesus knows his role in the redemptive procedure. The Garden of Gethsemane, on the way to the cross, serves as venue of Jesus affirmation on his willingness to sacrifice as redeemer. There he wrestles with his humanity vis-a-vis the divine mandate. As recorded in the gospel, the scene in the garden portrays the last struggle. Jesus pours out his innermost thoughts and feelings to the Father. Reviewing the justice requirements and redemption scheme, he attempts to argue for other alternatives apart from the cup of suffering and death. In the end, he seals his commitment to undergo the last stage of redemption with this prayer: Nevertheless, your will be done, not mine.

Thereafter, the culmination of his suffering takes place. The cross is only part of the womb- to- the- tomb painful experiences of Jesus. Hence, the old rugged cross is not the only thing we must cherish and exchange someday with a crown. Our salvation is not the product of the suffering of Jesus just on the cross. It is the totality of the life of Jesus that exemplifies the love of God for humanity.