Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Racing is the ultimate team sport.

WORKING AS A TEAM IS EVERYTHING.

Our Outrigger Racing season is almost over. In the last 6 weeks, I have competed in four races totaling just over 100 miles. This is comparable to running four marathons. The men and women that choose this lifestyle sport are connected with their love for the ocean, intense but friendly competition and respect for the history and heritage of Hawaiian Outrigger. As I reflect the importance of the team aspect of Outrigger Racing and how it compares to other sports and to business as well, I would like to share my insight and experiences.

Even though traditional Hawaiian canoes weigh 400 lbs., the fastest teams are not the strongest, but are those that 'blend'...meaning their paddling stroke is perfectly in sync with their teammates in terms of speed, cadence, power and timing. Outrigger Racing is much more of a finesse sport than a power sport. One person that is out of time can impact the speed of the entire canoe. We expend over 10,000 individual strokes in a three hour race. So each paddler closely follows the person in front of them, watching their body movement and timing, planting the paddle forward and pulling back together to finish the stroke.... 10,000 times during the race! The FOCUS required to accomplish this is extraordinary.

We have to count on our teammates to be prepared and in shape to be highly competitive. Although we practice as a team, there is much more fitness required outside of organized practice and training. We have to TRUST our teammates to be ready, both mentally and physically. We would never let our team down by showing up for a long distance race without being in top shape and ready to race.

The most competitive teams have amazing synergy. Pushing each other positively....knowing each others strengths and weaknesses....having respect for each others role and contribution. We call that ALOHA (Love) and OHANA (Family). The extra element that lifts the spirit of the team despite obstacles we may face such as challenging ocean conditions, fatigue or injury. No one paddler is more important than the other. In many other sports, the team might be successful based on the performance of a few individuals. It seems commonplace today that many professional teams have fractured locker rooms, where huge egos predominate. "Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean" - Ryunosuke Satoro

In the Mortgage Production environment, there is too much attention on individual production vs. team production. There is an acceptance and willingness to retain toxic top producers without considering the impact to the rest of the organization. Sales, Fulfillment and Internal staff are silo'd in many firms. The success of the organization or the customer is secondary as long as the business unit is protected. Lack of knowledge and training affects loan file quality, which impacts Fulfillment efficiency and productivity, resulting in poor service delivery that hurts the team. So.... how can your organization shift from an individual contributor mentality to a team mentality? Great question....

Winning as a team is much more enduring and satisfying.

ALOHA