We are all familiar with the story about the cobbler who had no shoes because he was too busy cobbling for everyone else, right? Well, we have a new slant on that fable ... as professional coaches who facilitate team building sessions and help other teams build trust and communicate better, Rhonda and I have not participated in a team building exercise in quite a while. That is until the other day when we went to South Carolina to check out a race track as a venue for our team building events. It's a really cool facility that can be used by race enthusiasts, for private parties, and ideally for corporate events. More about that later! 

What I wanted to share is what Rhonda and I learned about our own team (of two) after we participated in this event. Our mission was to drive on a straight road through an obstacle course of prearranged orange cones while one of us was at the wheel and the other, the passenger, was giving directions. Sounds easy, right? Oh, did I mention that the driver was blindfolded? Yep! I elected Rhonda to be the driver! 

Brian, our host and a professional race care driver, took me aside and out of Rhonda's earshot to explain the course and the objectives of the blind-folded driver exercise. Basically, I had to explain to Rhonda how to negotiate the course and meander through without hitting any of the cones. I thought that would be fairly simple - just a few turns to right and left and it would be a done deal!

But, at the end of the course came the real challenge. About a 1/4-mile down the road, the last set of cones were arranged to form the outline of three-sided box (think of a garage with the door open). With my instructions, Rhonda would drive forward into this box and stop before going through the "garage wall". Then, I would direct her to drive the car in reverse and back into another "garage" that was to the right and slightly behind the first garage.

When Brian and I returned to the car,  Rhonda blindly fastened her seat belt and I scanned the orange cones in the road ahead trying to estimate the distance between front of the car and the first set of cones. She immediately put the car in drive and let her foot off the brake ever so slightly!  

"Wait!" I shouted! Let's talk first! She slammed on the brake. Without her sight and without me giving directions, she couldn't move forward. In my best coaching voice, I said, "We need to discuss what you need from me in order to drive without hitting the cones and/or killing us!" 

"Just tell me when to turn left and right or go straight!" Did I mention that according to the PEP personality assessment, she is a Fire/Wind (fast paced) and I am an Earth/Water (exactly the opposite)?

"Well, OK. But don't you want to know what's coming up first?"

"No, just tell me as we get to each one!" And with that, the car started to roll forward as she lightly pressed the gas pedal and the rest of the conversation went like this!

"OK. Turn a little left! NOT THAT MUCH! Slow down! What was that crunch? RIIIIGGGHHHTTT! OK, turn the wheel to five of the hour (I couldn't think of the correct expression)... !" I grabbed the wheel! With a slight reprimand e Brian, reminds me that's a no-no!

"Do you mean 11 o'clock?" She asks. "Yes! (LOL!)" We've been partners long enough that she can read between the lines quite well!

And that was just the first two sets of cones. Somehow we made it through the remaining challenges - with more of the same dialog - until we got to the last obstacle. I asked Rhonda to come to a complete stop about five feet before the "garage opening". I very meticulously and elaborately explained what we were going to do by using the garage metaphor. And then, I verbally guided her while she  listened and drove slowly. We actually made it into the garage without knocking down any walls. 

Now the tricky part ... backing up and steering into the other garage. It wasn't exactly smooth sailing! Neither of us cursed except for one $%#*& when we heard a cone crunch under the left rear tire. Brian was quiet but I could tell he wanted to laugh or cringe (we were driving his car). When we arrived safely stopped in the garage with the front-end facing the opening, we debriefed our experience - as all good coaches will do. 

What went well? We made it through the course without serious damage to the car or the passengers.

What might have gone better? Rhonda said I needed to be more specific especially when instructing her to steer forward but not straight ahead (we had a few 30 degree angles to negotiate).

I said I wanted to give her more information before she started to drive but she didn't want to wait. That's always the case with a Fire/Wind and Earth/Water!

From his rear passenger seat, Brian said we did pretty good out of the gate, but then the stress of the possibility of crashing took control and our communication broke down. We liken that to any challenge we face in life and work. As the stakes get higher, tension mounts, and communication breaks down! Even though we know what to do and we are not shy about telling others how to improve their communication, you never know how you'll be until you are in the driver's seat ... and the passenger seat ... with a blind folded driver!

Brian said when we come back, he'll let us try again, but then he'll set the clock! Uh oh, we better learn some new &*^#! words!

Coming soon ... more information about the race track!