A Lesson in Teamwork : From Deep in the Chilean Mines

While this is an old news story, the lesson gained from it is timeless.

Who would have thought that deep in the Chilean mines there would lay a lesson in teamwork applicable to the world? It's being called a miracle. . . after 69 days trapped in a collapsed mine, all 33 Chilean miners and their rescuers were pulled to safety amid the cheering and tears from family and friends standing by waiting to catch a glimpse of their loved ones.


How in the world did they do it? How were they able to survive? As the stories continue to unfold and probably will for years, we will undoubtedly continue to see stories of undeniable courage, faith, tenacity, inner strength and sheer will to live. What we do know now, is that for the first 17 days, the miners were completely cut off from the world above ground, and they did not know that anyone knew they were still alive. How they survived those 17 days on food and water that should have lasted them 2 days is in itself a miracle. The men were exhausted, terrified and unsure what would happen next. They started fighting amongst themselves. This could have been a disaster all in itself, then something incredible happened. The team foreman stepped up to the plate, as he had many times before with his team, recognized the downward spiral that they were on, and started organizing the men. He separated them into groups, assigned them tasks, gave them each a purpose. The men then began to feel some hope. Especially on the 17th day when a drill broke into the cavern where they were trapped and they knew they had been found.


The human spirit and will is amazing and capable of incredible things when faced with adversity. In fact, it may be when we are our very best. There is a huge lesson in this for all of us, that these 33 men have taught us, and I could not help but think about our special events industry and the difficult road that many of our vendors, service providers and locations have endured these past couple of years. Here are a few lessons we can take away from this ultimate challenging situation:

People can operate, and operate at an optimum level, under extreme conditions. It is during these adverse times that we challenge ourselves to be more creative, step up, make a change.

Teamwork is everything. Without each other and the support that we can provide each other, the outcomes can be altered dramatically. When you need help, ask for it. Go to your team. Create answers together. You will all be collectively stronger than any one of you alone.

Step up as a leader. If you are fortunate to work under a strong, determined, open-minded leader, then learn from that and let that example teach you how to treat other people. If you do not have this example, then decide how you can be that example for other people. Great leaders surround themselves with the best people possible and make their people into better people and even great leaders as well.

Emotion is always part of it. The tears, hope, singing, inspiration and love that was shown by people all over the world drew the world closer together. Business is not just about business. Business is about people, and people relate on an emotional level.

Article by Lynne LaFond DeLuca, Sr. Vice President