What's good for the goose ...

Bill Buckley, my friend and co-author of “Once Upon a Whoopee,’’ sent me these photos he took from his farm in Wilcox County.

While sitting on his porch early Sunday morning with his wife, Jan, they noticed the two Canadian Geese that had taken up residence on their pond had suddenly multiplied.

Five baby geese were born on the pond’s island this past week.

“They chose this morning to take their first family swim,’’ said Bill. “Dad on one side, mom on the other. Teamwork!’’

It reminded me of an essay a neighbor gave me a few years ago called “The Lesson of the Geese.’’ It has been used by businesses, corporations and organizations to emphasize the importance of working together.

It was taken from a speech by author and anthropologist Angeles Arrien in 1991. The original authorship has been credited to two different men – Milton Olson and Robert McNeish.

We all can learn something from this.

Fact: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock has 71 percent greater 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 each other.

Fact: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact: When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others’ skills, capabilities, and unique arrangement of gifts, talents, or resources.

Fact: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and to encourage the heart and core values of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation to catch up with the flock.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we’re strong.