26 ◾ Transforming Teams
of events. Eliza started the meeting by asking each to
report on how the situation with Cynsis was going.
Claire shared that she had discussed the issue of
the system conversion with her technology contact,
who was setting up a new trial demo with the sample
module in Des Moines. Kirby offered that he had the
module and instructions shipped overnight to the client
contact in Des Moines, and Dave had conrmed all of
this with the CEO of the company.
“So, we’re in a wait-and-see situation, but I am con-
dent it’s going to work. I tested it myself before sending
it,” said Kirby.
“Great! Let’s keep our ngers crossed. So here’s my
question: How could each of you have handled that
situation differently? What could you have done other
than what you did?” asked Eliza.
“Well, I guess I should have waited to talk to Dave
before I expressed my concern with the client,” offered
Claire. Eliza nodded in agreement. Hopefully the talk
about throwing Dave under the bus had helped.
“And I should probably have asked some more ques-
tions of Dave about the system integration so that I had
a better understanding of the client need,” volunteered
Kirby. Eliza nodded again.
Dave paused a few moments and then offered, “I
guess my mistake was not deciding long ago to work
on a team that has more trust and faith in me.”
Eliza was annoyed. “Dave, that’s all you have? You
don’t see any responsibility for this situation? None?”
“What do you want me to say? They could have
asked,” he said, pointing a thumb in Kirby’s and Claire’s
Bedtime with Badger and Coyote ◾ 27
direction. “They could have picked up the phone and
called me. They could have had a sense of urgency
about this instead of waiting for me to be blindsided
rst thing on Monday morning.” His voice grew louder
as he spoke.
“You’re right. I absolutely agree with you. But here’s
the thing: the fact that the company was going through a
system-wide conversion is a big deal. The fact that Claire
and Kirby didn’t know that is a serious breakdown in
communication. And the fact that you knew that a demo
was being sent to the client but didn’t provide any instruc-
tions to the team as to where the client should demo it
was a big lapse in communication,” pressed Eliza.
Dave shook his head. “Even if I had, I bet they still
wouldn’t have been able to understand the big picture.
They can only see three feet in front of their face, and
if it’s farther than that, then they say it can’t be done.”
“Okay, time out,” said Eliza. She took a deep breath,
changed her position in her seat, and tried to change
the mood in the room by changing it in her own body.
“See this book? I read it last night to the girls. Do
you know that these two species of animal actually
hunt together? They leave their own packs and hunt
together.”
Kirby, Claire, and Dave looked puzzled.
“Seriously,” Eliza continued, “in real life these guys
could eat each other, or at least each other’s pups, but
instead they collaborate. One digs underground and the
other chases aboveground, and together they trap and
eat more prairie dogs than they would on their own or
with their own species. Isn’t that incredible? They hunt
28 ◾ Transforming Teams
together as a pair for up to two weeks! Even though
they’re different species!” said Eliza.
The others sat in stunned silence.
“Wait, what?” said Claire, breaking the silence. “I’m
confused . . . what are we talking about here?”
“So, what you’re hinting at, Eliza,” chimed in Dave,
“is that the next time we’re in the market for a prairie
dog, we should bring along a coyote and a badger?”
Dave said sarcastically. “That’s great to know. I was
only going to bring a coyote.”
Eliza smiled, expecting this reaction from Dave.
“Actually, my point is if the badger and the coyote can
work collaboratively together, why can’t you three? For
months now, all you’ve done is complain about each
other. All you’ve been able to see are your differences.
All of your attention has been on how the other isn’t
up to your standards. You’ve totally forgotten the fact
that your differences are important and valuable!
“You see, you are all specialized, just like these ani-
mals. For us to be successful, we can’t all be the same
animal. Sure, we’d get along better, but we’d also all have
the same limitations. Instead, we have to be specialized
so that where one may be weak, the other is strong,
and vice versa. Together, we could eat signicantly more
prairie dogs!” answered Eliza enthusiastically.
Dave just shook his head in disbelief. Claire had a
look of concern. And Kirby looked around as if try-
ing to identify a way to escape from the conversation
altogether.
With her brow still furrowed, Claire said, “Let
me guess, I’m the badger. Right? Is that what you’re
Bedtime with Badger and Coyote ◾ 29
suggesting, Eliza? Because Dave is always accusing me
of badgering him to get more details, and he never sits
still long enough to give us the information we need to
move forward. He just keeps on bringing in work that
we don’t know what to do with. Is that where you’re
going with this?”
“Yes, Claire,” chimed in Dave, who was becoming
amused by the exercise, “now you’re on to something!
Is that it, Eliza? Wait, wait, let me guess. So I am Wile
E. Coyote, the character who can’t catch the roadrun-
ner no matter how hard he tries? Slippery, sleazy, and
otherwise totally hapless?”
Claire and Dave looked expectantly at Eliza. Then
they all three looked at Kirby.
Kirby, a profound introvert who typically said very
little, said without missing a beat, “And I’m the prairie
dog. I always knew one day I’d be eaten either by him
or by her,” pointing to Dave and Claire. “And now you
are saying they are both going to eat me. Great.”
Everyone laughed. That broke the tension. Just a bit,
any way.
“Okay, let me just say that it never occurred to me
that you were the coyote or that you were the badger
or that you were the prairie dog,” said Eliza, turning to
each member of her executive team. “I just saw in the
story an example of how amazing it is when people
can put aside their differences and work together, and
thereby increase their output far beyond the sum of
their individual efforts. But since that’s where you guys
took it, let’s play this out a little farther.
30 ◾ Transforming Teams
“Actually, yes, Claire, now that you mention it,
I have to concur that you are like the badger, and
thank goodness for that, because relying on your
behavioral style makes you awesome at your job. And
you really are awesome at your job. You are detail
oriented and unappable in the face of conict and
chaos. Really.
“And Dave, you are denitely a better coyote than
Wile E., because Wile E. never gets his roadrunner.
He’s always falling off cliffs or having anvils land on
his head. Unlike Wile E., you succeed! You are always
getting your bird. You are always fearlessly looking
for ways to promote our company and our services.
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