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No man is an
island entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a
part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is
the less; as less as if a promontory were, as well as if a manner
of thy friends or of thine own were. Any man?s death diminishes
me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to
know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. John Donne
1572-1631.
Survivor - The
Lessons
Survivor
- The Aftermath | Survivor - Running the
Show
The long days of summer usually
spell quiet evening strolls and time spent chasing fireflies.
That?s why Survivor took me by surprise. Bike rides at dusk have
been replaced by families glued to the tube.
For those who?ve been camped on Mars,
Survivor is CBS?s summer
megahit, involving 16 people stranded on a desert island in the
South China Sea for 39 days. Through a series of physical
challenges and peer voting, participants are eliminated one by
one, with the solo ?survivor? winning a million dollars.
I decided to tune in, and almost as
quickly tuned out ? but something kept pulling me back. Hidden
beneath the hype and buzz, were little jewels - quiet lessons in
survival, teamwork, leadership, greed and more?In some
instances, territorial squabbles and alliances eerily reflected
what corporate ?survivors? encounter in the working world
every day.
Setting the Scene
Participants, ranging in ages from 22-72, were divided into
two competing team, Tagi and Pagong. The eldest, an ex-navy seal
named Rudy was arguably the most well trained and experienced man
for the challenge ? an asset to any team. Unbelievably, he
missed being chosen first to be banished from the island by just
one vote. Shocked and humbled, Rudy immediately adopted a more
co-operative demeanor with his teammates.
What happened? Rudy assumed he could employ a don?t-give-a-damn
attitude because his skills (he thought) were indispensable for
survival. Rudy was trained in a rank-and-file world, where those
with seniority and experience gave the orders; those without
followed. On the island, however, all players were considered
equal, with no deference accorded to age, wisdom or experience.
Poor Rudy, somebody changed the rules when he wasn?t looking.
For many, Rudy?s predicament
parallels the fallout from today?s internet explosion. Top-down
management has been cannibalized by networks of free agents
choosing when, where, and with whom they want to work. Rudy may
have consummate experience, but if people don?t want to play
with him ? adios pal. One player casting a ?No? vote for
Rudy, said ?he?s the man I admire most, and the one I?d like
to work with least.?
It?s Not What You Know?
Time and again, research has proven that the single biggest
reason for failure in business is lack of people skills. Experts
have discovered that co-workers will help you fail if they think
you are aloof or using them. Conversely, they found you can get
away with unbelievable mistakes if you are socially intelligent.
If you are well liked and you make a mistake, your supporters will
help you recover. This fact was quickly borne out by observing
another survivor ? Gervase.
But How You Play the Game?
A tall, handsome African American basketball coach, Gervase
said ?I knew from the beginning that what was going to get me
through was charm.? He freely acknowledged ?I don?t cook. I
don?t build things. I don?t even swim.? Wow. They?re on an
island and the guy can?t even swim, yet he survived nine
elimination rounds.
I was even more astounded to learn that in week seven, he said
?Girls are the stupidest thing on the planet next to cows.?
These women who had the power to vote him off the island. So did
they? Astonishingly ? no. They let Gervase remain, and
eliminated the only other male teammate ? Joel. Why? Gervase
cracked insults with a laugh and a smile, Joel gave orders with an
attitude.
My Way or the Highway
In Joel?s world there was his way, and the wrong way. Joel
gave orders, set strategies, and called the shots. And hey, his
decisions may have been right, but he forgot to get consensus from
the team. Joel foolishly assumed that because he knew more, people
would automatically defer to him. Assuming he was the leader,
Joel began outlining voting strategies and delegating tasks.
Soon, he was history.
Clueless
Thinking back on his ousting, Joel observed ?Obviously, the
girls have a self esteem problem.? Huh? He may be stronger,
faster, and smarter, but he?s clueless about relationship
dynamics. Blind to his faults, Joel rationalized his downfall by
blaming others, and probably does so in ?real life? as well.
You?ve Got to Have Friends?
When they first arrived on the island, team members formed tentative alliances, as they tried to
carve out a safe niche for themselves. The dynamics were
fascinating to watch. Some, like Gervase, chose to charm, others
chose a skill ? hunter/ gatherer, athlete, chef, etc. to
solidify their position on the team. Buddy alliances ? for
friendship, for security, for survival quickly formed. If a
?buddy? was voted out, a player would scramble to forge new
alliances with others he might not really care about, for the sake
of survival.
Hypocritical? Don?t we do the same every day in the ?real?
world? Corporations contribute to both political parties to cover
their bases. You tolerate your boastful brother-in-law who has
season tickets. To win the contract, you join forces with that
procrastinating jerk from marketing, knowing you?ll have to pick
up his slack. The upside to unconventional alliances ? it blasts
us out of our comfort zone, and turns us on to new, exciting and
unknown resources. With each stretch, tolerance, adaptability and
creativity expand. But remember ? these alliance were formed for
sole survival.
The Solo Journey
Futurists Jim Taylor and Watts Wacker, authors of The 500 Year
Delta, claim that work can be fun if we ?shed the notion that
any loyalty is to be given or received in a business
relationship?. They ask us to ?realize that you are a
freelancer moving from deal to deal? understand that there is
only one person you are working for: yourself.? The very set-up
of Survivor ? winner takes all, provides the perfect platform to
reward individual success.
Past Partners, Future Foes
The games eventually resulted in unevenly matched (by size)
teams. Players were then combined into one group. Initially, when
players were part of a team, they voted off the ?weak link? to
keep their core group strong. Now that they were competing as
individuals, players had to eliminate people stronger than
themselves to ensure their own survival. The camera caught
comments like ?Gretchen has to go. She?s bright, stronger, and
she?s a threat.? and ?If you?re here for bosom buddies, go
to summer camp.?
Sound ruthless? Psychologist Alan
down, in his book The Fearless Executive, pinpoints seven fears
that undermine executive?s performance. One major fear is
Scarcity, where we view our resources as finite, scramble fiercely
to protect what we have, and view other?s success as a threat.
So hide your light under a
bushel?
As truck driver Susan explains to the camera with a grin ?I
play the dumb red neck. They think I?m stupid.? Dumb like a
fox, this gal. Showcasing your skills is like walking a tightrope
- too little, you?re history; too much, you?re a threat. So
too, corporate survivors have learned not to sit too high in the
leadership saddle. It makes you an easier target for jealous
rivals with their guns loaded.
Competition vs. Co-operation
Admittedly, the world of work doesn?t provide a $1 million
jackpot to one lucky winner. We?re supposed to be working
together to share the prize, and yet? Have you ever known a
leader threatened by those more educated or knowledgeable surround
himself with yes men to bolster his ego? Performance stagnates at
his level of competence. Ever witness an outstanding performer
sabotaged by others who felt threatened by his competence?
Advertising genius David Ogilvy reminds us ?If each of us hires
people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of
dwarfs. But if each of us hired people who are bigger than we are,
we shall become a company of giants.?
The competition/co-operation quandary goes on. Corporations spend
thousands on teambuilding exercises, off-site retreats, even floor
plans which foster co-operation, then promote individual
accomplishment and take charge behavior. The good news ?
extraordinary team players do exist, capable of fostering
co-operation, while simultaneously assuming the mantle of
leadership. The bad news ? it takes ridiculous amounts of time
and energy to track of the lone wolf predators, and protect your
hen house of good ideas from their clandestine attacks.
Building Your Skills
Unless you?re planning to slide through on charm, how can you
insure you?ll continue to be a player ? whether on an island
or in the workplace? It depends. Today, a programmer, can write
his own ticket. There aren't enough good ones to go around. Tomorrow??? I?m
not implying your mechanic needs to know brain surgery, nor should
your surgeon work on your car, but a willingness to learn, to step
outside your comfort zone, to adapt to new situations can?t
hurt.
Versatile Teammate ? or One Trick Pony?
Rich was the island?s fisherman. It was his singular skill.
Since food is the epicenter of power, Rich thought his survival
was locked up. Until?his smug attitude and sense of entitlement
spurred the women into action. Their own fishing expedition
produced a hearty catch. Uh-oh. Immediately, two things happened.
No longer dependent on the cocky breadwinner, the women felt they
could vote him off the island. Rich knew it too ? and proceeded
to shoot himself in the foot before anyone else could bring him
down.
Self Sabotage - The Emperor Has No Clothes
As the girls brought in the day?s catch, Rich grew
dramatically quiet. ?I don?t want anybody near me. I?m
frustrated? he said, and wandered off by himself. The following
day, as a birthday ?gift? to himself, he decided to spend the
day nude, offending everyone. Why on earth, when he?d just lost
a major position of power, would he risk taking himself down
further? Because he sensed what was coming (his banishment) and
needed to diffuse the pain of rejection. If he got the ?boot?,
he could rationalize that some up-tight folks found his nudity
offensive, rather than face the truth - he was no longer
indispensable.
It?s human nature. If we?re honest, most of us can remember a
time when, perhaps sub-consciously, we sabotaged a situation,
rather than face the music. We create a fiasco we can live with
(okay, the nudity was stupid, it got me expelled; but they?re
sure going to miss my fishing). Sometimes, it?s less painful to
exit first, before you?re asked to leave. (Did you ever break up
with a lover when you sensed the ax was about to fall?) By
parading around nude, Rich created an exit strategy, rather than
being banished because he was no longer needed. (At one point,
Rich remarked ?They don?t keep me here because I fish. They
keep me here because I?m smart.? Rather than risk learning the
truth, he opted for another way out.)
Sometimes it takes years before we can look back and see how
we?ve done this in our careers. Amazingly enough, self-sabotage
is also a survival tactic. We?ll sacrifice winning the game of
success, to play the bigger game of remaining a winner in our own
eyes.
P-s-s-t Dorothy, We?re Not in
Kansas Anymore
To distance himself from politics, neurologist Sean adopted a
?peaceable kingdom? approach, voting people off in
alphabetical order. He was chagrined and contrite when his
?neutral? vote sealed the fate of his pal Jenna. ?I never
would have voted for her if I?d thought she had a chance of
leaving? he said. Wake up. This is life, Sean. You did vote for
her, and clinched her expulsion. As Spencer Johnson reminds us in
Who Moved My Cheese? life continues to move forward, even if you
would rather remain in place. Taking no stand is a stand, complete
with consequences.
There?s Strength in Numbers
Four Tagi Team members? Richard, Rudy, Susan, and Kelly
formed an alliance, promising one another to vote uniformly, to
systematically eliminate their rivals. It worked. Opponents fell
like ducks in a shooting gallery, until only the four musketeers
remained, proving once again it?s not what you know, but how
powerful is your network. Now down to the fab four, the gloves
came off; it was every man for himself. All players lied, connived
and schemed to eliminate their strongest opponent. All, that is,
except Rudy, who had given his Navy Seal word to Rich, and stood
firm. Others knew not to mess with him.
Ouch
Like having a two-way mirror on life, we couldn?t tear
ourselves away, as we watched the dark side of human nature at
work ? the same deception that lurks beneath political juntas,
workplace intrigue, and romantic finagling . With no one left to
turn to, players confided to the camera ?I don?t trust him. I
don?t trust her.? Rich, the ultimate winner, stated
matter-of-factly ?Outright lying is absolutely essential.?
Down to the Wire
When only two contestants remained, the winner was chosen by a group vote. Here?s the twist ? the voting group
was comprised of the last seven players who had been voted off the
island. Tables turned as the remaining survivors now faced those
they had formerly ousted. In the end, Rich, the savviest
strategist won.
The Rich Get Richer
While his footprints were still wet in the sand, Richard Hatch
closed a $500,000 book deal with St. Martin's Press. The fruits of
victory, you say? Hatch's book proposal was with top agents at
Janklow & Nesbit before he ever set foot on the island. Win or
lose, he positioned himself to be first to press with a memoir,
maximizing his one shot at fame. Like the guy or not, he exhibits
the mentality of a winner.
(His first week home, Rich appeared on "Good Morning
America", "Rosie", the MTV Music Video Awards,
"Entertainment Tonight's" Emmy awards, and signed
contracts with Reebok and "Got Milk?")
As John Donne observed ?Any man?s death diminishes me because I am involved
in mankind.? With 51 million hungry viewers eager to feast on
Survival-of-the-fittest, I guess we?ve all been a bit diminished.
Lessons in
Survival
From Rudy
You can teach an old dog new tricks. A change in attitude
secured his place on the team. People may forgive your faults (bigotry) if they admire your
virtues (honesty, keeping your word.)
From Gervase
Never underestimate the power of charm. It can get you through
a downsizing of more than 50%.
From Sean
Taking no stand is a stand, and won?t save you from the
quicksand of political intrigue.
From Colleen
(Dubbed ?America?s sweetheart?, she has received job
offers, wedding proposals, etc.) Even if downsizing leaves you a
?sitting duck? your behavior can earn you future invitations. There are many jackpots in the game of life.
From Susan and Richard
Sleep with one eye open.
When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
From Richard
Plan ahead.
Play to win.
A victory shared with no one is a lonely win.
From the Tagi Team
For good or bad, there is power in alliance.
TOP
THE
AFTERMATH
Success Breeds Success, or does
it?
In 1962, CBS scored another megahit ? Jacqueline Kennedy
Tours the White House. We watched with fascination as the first
lady explained the history of writing desks, paintings, china,
etc., making each room come alive. At the time, it was the highest
rated show in television history. Flush with victory, the network
rushed to produce nine ?tour? sequels. The second tour ?
Queen Fredericka Tours the Parthenon was the lowest rated show in
CBS history. Why? CBS failed to assess what made the first show a
hit ? Mrs. Kennedy. Jackie could have toured her closets ? we
would have watched, she could have toured the nursery ? we would
have watched. We didn?t care; we wanted Jackie.
Here we go again?
Eager to capitalize on Survivor?s success, CBS followed it
with yet another reality show. Big Brother features hidden
cameras trained on people sequestered in a house doing . .
nothing. Yawn. Maybe Queen Fredericka will visit.
Big Brother Is Watching?but
we?re not?
Producers misjudged the Survivor's appeal to be eavesdropping
on private lives. Puleeeze - been there, done that, with Geraldo
for years. It wasn?t the 24/7 cameras that captured us, it was
the chance to vicariously play pirate. There?s risk. Danger.
Snakes. Rats. To survive, you must form bonds with mortal
competitors, while testing your ingenuity. We watch because we
want to believe that on the right day, with the right knowledge
/skill/ charisma/luck ? that could be us, bagging the big prize.
Monkey See, Monkey Do?
Get ready for ?The Big Diet? ? Big Brother with food,
?Temptation? - Survivor with sex, etc. ad nauseam. Guess you
can?t blame them for wanting a slice of those 28 million weekly viewers.
First to Market
Survivor stands alone - another great example of first to market
with a product that?s unique. Just as Burger King will never
catch McDonalds, nor Barnes & Noble outstrip amazon.com,
Survivor, like I Love Lucy, Perry Mason etc. forged new territory
in the well-worn rut of television.
Fish Where They?re Biting
Survivor II, set in the Australian outback, will air its first
episode immediately following the Super Bowl. Talk about a captive
audience. Well done, CBS. But can the magic hold? Even Rocky
Balboa could only stretch one theme so far?
TOP
RUNNING THE SHOW
Facilitation is a
Skill
Tribal Councils were presided over by Jeff Probst, a likeable
fellow chosen more for his camera presence than people sense. Jeff
posed as an impartial facilitator, but his behavior belied his
personal bias. As every corporate trainer knows, a good
facilitator tries to give participants ownership of the meeting,
and observe from the sideline.
Early in the competition, and perhaps unwittingly,
Jeff always singled out the poorest performer to answer the first
question: ?How do you feel about your position
right now? Strong or weak?? Those who admitted weakness were
instantly voted out. A candidate might try to downplay his
predicament by stating ?I didn?t do as well as everyone else
on the relay, but I know I can do better next time.? On the
island, there?s no room for next time.
Sphere of Influence
As facilitator, Jeff seemed blind to his power to subtly sway
the vote. As I watched him single out the weakest, I felt
threatened and defensive, right along with the victim. Since
Survivor was not structured for teammates to come to one
another?s aid, Jeff?s target was left to twist in the wind.
Everyone Loves a Winner
Team members who expressed confidence - even if it was bravado ?
were spared. When asked about the solidity of his position,
Gervase, even on a bad day, would state
firmly ?I feel totally confident. I belong on this team.?
Fellow teammate?s votes supported this winning image Gervase had
put in their minds. Right or wrong, people like to be with
winners.
Fake It ?til You Make It?
Later in the game, as the stakes escalated, players learned not
to admit to weakness. How about you? If you feel you?re weak in
an area at work, whom do you confide it to and when? Has it ever
backfired on you? Has anyone every used it against you? Did you
learn to rely on yourself for survival?
Straddling the Line
If called on to facilitate, how will you remain impartial? What
might have been a better way to handle the Tribal Council? What
about posing the question to the group, allowing individuals to
choose how and when to respond. Natural leaders may respond first,
but more reticent players might then be willing to add their
observations.
Back
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About Ann Mahony
Speaker and author Ann Mahony addresses audiences
nationwide on how to Lead From Your Strengths and Stay Connected
in today's downsized, fast forward world. Featured on ABC,
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& Personality...
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ANN
MAHONY
San Francisco -- P.O. Box 475166 . San Francisco, CA 94147
Phone: 415/441-0273 . Fax: 415/441-0233
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? 2000-2004 Ann Mahony
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