Swimming's Social Contract

The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution reads:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

One of the beauties of the US Federalist system is that it recognizes that individual communities (states), while part of the same nation, have the prerogative to express different preferences and priorities. For example, compare California, Nevada, Texas and Connecticut.

This morning's workout demonstrated a similar system in swimming. Our coach defined one simple goal for the workout - complete 50 x 100 yards of swimming. Each lane was then encouraged to determine how they would accomplish this and collaborate to complete the workout.

Lindsay's lane defined an intricate, even intriguing workout that combined varying strokes and intervals yet maintained a constant lane order. It was the product of grass-roots leadership. In Killer Quad terminology, they were "Mavericks"...or at least Californian. Our lane defined a consistent interval with rotating leadership. It was a moderate approach, not quite Blue State, but perhaps Ohio. Both Lindsay and I left the pool saying, "That was great!" And neither of us would have enjoyed the other's workout as much as our own.

And while I enjoyed my lane's traditional approach, I can see merit in the California approach to the Killer Quad. And I recognize that many new ideas start in California and filter east, so perhaps I should save a copy of the Lane 1 workout.

-Hammerhead

Leveraging Your Team

"When someone tells you that they want to 'leverage' you, it usually means that you are being used to produce a result." -Opinion shared with a sales colleague.

"Leverage" is an overused corporate euphemism. I have used it in business plans, quarterly business reviews, executive approvals, emails, presentation and conversations. Sometimes my plans worked. Sometime they didn't.

I have been "leveraged." Sometimes the results met expectations. Sometimes they did not.

So what distinguishes successful from unsuccessful leverage? Intent and gratitude.

I have attended meetings where I accepted action items, and when I left, I felt like I agreed to do a classmate's homework.

I have also taken "hero-pulls" at the front of cycling packs and swim lanes where I have expended 20% more energy than those in the draft. On good days, I can maintain this until the end of the ride or set. On the other days I fall off the pace and limp home or hang on the wall. But I rarely regret these because each effort is followed by a lactic-acid infused "thank you."

We are hosting a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner in our 860 square-foot home with a kitchen that dates to the Eisenhower administration. All that my wing-woman (wife) and I have to worry about is the turkey, stuffing and wine (twist my arm.) Why? We are leveraging the culinary strengths of our guests. I think that they will leave smiling, and not just from the tryptophan. Hopefully their experience will mirror that of a successful project planning meeting, where each person gets to contribute his/her strengths, and everyone leaves with leftovers.

Thursday morning I will leverage my swimming lane. 50 x 100 is too many yards to swim without a rotating draft (and Gatorade...RockStar for longer sets). One of my favorite parts of this tradition is that each person leads 5 x 100 and then drops to the back of the lane. As each swimmer passes the former leader at the wall, he/she shares a short-breathed "thanks!"

This reminds me that I leveraged the draft of three of my teammates during this morning's set. Honestly, I was just trying to stay in the same time zone, but I think I forgot to say "thank you." Thanks. -HammerHead

Radio Check

"What is Web 2.0?"

This is a valid question that colleagues, customers and I have recently asked. As we approach Black Friday, the most anticipated shopping day of the year, retailers relying on the internet to meet their 2008 revenue forecasts may reply, "A more realistic look and feel for eCommerce. A makeover for a salesman that works 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year, never gets sick, never takes vacations...and doesn't complain about the comp plan."

Industry cynics may reply, "Another square for BuzzWord Bingo."

Students of Justice Stewart may reply, "It's difficult to define, but we know it when we see it."

My take: an open avenue for constant commentary...and a few good laughs.

Year-to-date I have been semi-regularly ghost-posting on my teammate's blog - http://menlomasters.blogspot.com/ - so I decided it was time for me to stop drafting off of Waterblogged and start my own.

So here goes...