While on tour at The Wilds (dot #4296), our Jeep encountered Stella, the baby rhinoceros who had strayed from her herd. Since she was raised by humans and bottle-fed, our guide said she preferred people to the other rhinos, and thus often left the herd to follow the safari vehicles.
It reminded me of Patrick Lencioni’s nugget of wisdom in The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team where he cautioned people to remember their “first team,” the loyalty and commitment to the primary group instead of to themselves. (In the business setting, that means putting the results of the team you are part of ahead of those you supervise, something that is not always easy to do.) Stella had an affinity with humans instead of her herd even though all would be better served if she considered the other rhinos as her first team.
It’s important when onboarding an employee or when someone becomes a new supervisor that the organization is clear about where the primary loyalty should lie. We often spend time team building in the initial small unit and fail to forge bonds with the organization and team outside our closest colleagues. In the end, it creates silos and displaced allegiance.
Our guide patiently coaxed Stella to follow the vehicle and led her back to the herd. As a supervisor, you should do the same with those who want to veer away from their first team.
