The run should have been easy, and it shouldn’t take long.
This was to be just one portion of the Air Force Fitness Test, which constituted of a mile and half run. Two people were running, one of which being graded, the other, to motivate.
Senior Airman Mike Wells was the one being graded. He was having one heck of a time breaking that 14-minute mark, the time needed to simply pass.
At the time, I was a First Lieutenant, with run scores averaging just about 12 minutes. I’d volunteer to run with the man, hoping to motivate him enough to break that 14 minute mark.
Airman Wells knew, that passing was imperative. He had failed several times before, been given ample opportunity to improve, including folks volunteering to help him train. Another failure would start the process for separation. The official terminology was “Failure to Adapt”, which included a number of things, the fitness test being just one.
On the morning of the event, Airman Wells was off to a good start. He passed the other two portions of the test, which consisted of a minute each of push-ups and sit-ups. All he needed to do was to break the dreaded 14 minutes on that mile and a half run.
On this day the test was held within the Offutt Air Force Base Field House. This facility was an old hanger, which had been turned into a large gym. Inside, there was a nearly oval shaped track 4/10ths of a mile around. The track was long and straight with turns on either end, a hair wider than a basketball court was long, with marks every half mile through the 2-mile mark. Folks being tested would line up at the start of the straightaway, the finish 3 and 3/4 laps later. Generally, once folks lined up, one of the two required timers (required to ensure integrity) would give the command of “ready … set .. go!” As runners started around the track, both timers would proceed to the midway mark on the opposing straightaway and call times as folks ran past.
This was where Airman Wells and I found ourselves when the time came … lined up at the start. All four of us, Airman Wells, the timers, and myself, knew the stakes. The timers and I gave him an extra moment to make sure he felt ready.
As Wells made his way to the start, one of the timers asked, “You ready?”
He responded with a nervous laugh, “As ready as ever.”
Each of us could feel Airman Wells nerves as I joined him at the line. The timer called, “Ready … set … go!” We were off. Wells pace was slow, but steady, and likely passable. I encouraged him to pick up the pace a little, which we did. Unfortunately it held only for a short time. Wells slowed, but remained a little faster than we started. I was happy and pushed to keep it up.
We reached the ¾ lap mark, the eventual finish line, about the same time the timers did. They made their call, which was right about the point we should be. I’d mentioned this to Airman Wells, encouraging him to keep it up. If he could, he should be fine.
Unfortunately, this didn’t hold. About a half lap later, with 2-1/2 to go, Wells began to fade. I pushed him to pick up the pace, reminding him of the remaining distance and time. Wells picked up the pace, then slowed again. We began to repeat a cycle of push, then jog, and repeat. I heard the time when we passed and realized we were a few moments behind.
“Come on Wells! Two laps to go! We need to pick up the time!” He picked up the pace, held for a stretch, then slowed again.
It was about then I’d noticed another person on the track. A woman, pushing a stroller. A stroller with two young kids, and she was jogging at a fairly good pace, especially with the children in hand.
Our cycle of push, jog, and repeat continued, but soon, the woman with the stroller had unintentionally become involved. The cycle transitioned from push, jog, and repeat, to push, pass the stroller, jog, get passed by the stroller, and repeat.
When we approached the timers the third time, with one lap remaining, I’d called for another push, but Airman Wells continued to jog, appearing as though he was through.
I was ahead, stopped at the line, and asked the timers, “He’s not gonna make it is he?”
“Not at that pace,” one responded.
“He can still make it if he can hold a decent pace,” replied the other. The three of us gave a discouraged sigh before I spoke up.
“WELLS!” I yelled. “DON’T LET THAT STROLLER BEAT YOU!”
While I meant for it to encourage this poor young man, the woman with the stroller looked up with a spark in her eye as if to say, “No, you did not go there!” With that, the race was on! But not for long.
Both the woman and Airman Wells picked up the pace. The fire in her eyes was relentless, he looked like he was about to die. She quickly took the lead, started gaining ground, then gained, gained, and gained some more. When Airman Wells crossed the finish, some 30 seconds too late, the woman with the stroller was another third of the way around the track, and continued holding the pace.
Airman Wells stood there, gasping for air, discouraged. Unfortunately, there was nothing more we could do. Results were filed, the paperwork made its way through the appropriate offices, and Airman Wells soon became a veteran with a General Discharge. Hopefully things have turned around for the young man.
Over time I think about this young man. We’ve all heard stories of folks of all walks of life who face adversity, most of the stories involve someone who has overcome a significant challenge, or providing the inspiration to succeed. The stories of those who fade away are rarely heard, most of which are quickly forgotten. But what is the difference between the two? What causes one to succeed, and not another? What is their motivation? How do we instill this mindset so more can succeed?
I’ve learned that personal motivation generally falls into two categories: extrinsic and intrinsic. External or internal. The extrinsic provides something externally to strive for, or at least an external reason to do so. The intrinsic focuses on the achievement of a personal goal. Both of which can be viewed in the story of Airman Wells and the woman with the stroller, depending on the story is viewed. Airman Wells was working to avoid what could be seen as a negative external event (forced removal from the military) and the woman viewing my comment as either a chance to prove something to herself, or act as a “rabbit” to help inspire this young man. We will likely never know the motivation for either.
Understanding these two forms of motivation and applying it to members of a team can be a challenge. As a leader, we can set goals to be achieved, provide a reason for it to be accomplished. Maybe we can present the task as something that has never been done, or maybe describe prior attempts, with the possibility for success, and providing the belief that it can be done. We can then provide the freedom to create, the resources to succeed, and let them perform.
I do believe in most, well nurtured cases, we as leaders would be surprised with the results the team will achieve. But with humans involved with this process, this is not guaranteed. Personal motivation to achieve still exists. What is in it for the individual or team? Why would they care? Is it just a paycheck, or is there something more?
In a case such as this, I believe we can use sports as an analogy. What are athletes trying to achieve? A bond? A skill. Are they playing to simply play? Is their sport of choice being used for a scholarship, or as a professional, maybe to “pay the bills”? Or are they striving to achieve a more lofty goal such as a National Championship, the Super Bowl ring, or World Series title?
Some years ago, I’d heard of a research assignment where a survey was done with players in the National Football League (NFL) which asked them what they did for a living. Simple enough question, but the results were intriguing. On one side of the spectrum, quite a few responded with their position on the team, and on the other, folks would respond by saying they were a member of a team. Basically, “I am a Quarterback in the NFL” or “I play for (a specific team).” There was little in between. Ironically, when these results were compared with the final standings of the ensuing regular season, teams who had the better records had more players viewing themselves as part of a team while teams who did worse, had more players that viewed themselves as individuals filling a role.
Granted, every season there are highlights of players making the big play, or scoring the game winning touchdown, but I’ve learned to question whether getting to that point was a team effort with a few players in the limelight, or was it simply a fluke? In cases where these highlights were in an important game such as a playoff, such as the Houston Astros winning back-to-back no-hitter games in the World Series, it would be the pitchers faces who were in the news, but it was likely a team effort over nine innings, and definitely a larger effort of the entire team getting them to the playoffs to begin with. If a similar scene would have occurred in the middle of the season, involving teams with average or substandard records, it would still be a significant event. But for this to occur in the World Series with two of the best teams in the Major Leagues, it is a different story altogether.
Can we apply this mindset to the business world, a non-profit, or a local theater company? What is the difference between a huge success, a failure, or potential mediocrity? While successes occur every day, I will argue that some of the most notable successes have involved members with some external or internal motivation to band together in achieving the larger goal, where those who contribute less or teams that barely succeed, are more likely to involve members who may be there just to play the game.
I do wish there was a way I could prove this hypothesis, or maybe it already has been done with some study or another. But my mind continues to wonder back to Airman Wells with his fitness test and the woman pushing the stroller. Did Airman Wells view himself as a member of the worlds strongest Air Force or did he view himself as an individual merely doing a job? Was there something in his biological makeup that was holding him back? Did he have another motivation that we will never be aware of? Would he have succeeded if his mindset, or motivation to achieve, was different leading up to that day? What about the woman? Her children were obviously young enough to be in a stroller. Was she an runner before the pregnancy? Was she trying to return to her prior level of fitness? Had she already returned? Or, did she see my “stroller” comment simply as a challenge.
I doubt we will ever be able to answer questions involving these two. But it is still a talking point which can be used in the discussion of motivating individuals or groups and the desire to reach a predetermined goal.
I began with the line, “The run should have been easy,” but we know there was a lot more to the story than just running the course. There is the preparation, the goal, the reason to strive, and so much more. But the same can be said about any “run”. What is the goal? What is involved? Do folks have the talents and desire to achieve? I will then conclude with where I began, thinking about the background, the rest of the larger story, so that when it comes time for our team, or ourselves, to excel … the run should be easy. Don’t “just do it” … take the time and make it happen.