The Goose represents a commitment to congratulating superior work. 

The honking itself is a gift to one another - a way of cheering each other on. As the  black V formations move across the sky from every directions, honking fills the air with joy.

But the Gift of the Goose isn’t just a metaphor. We can learn a lot of from these loyal, team-oriented creatures, from their specific formations, to their behavior, to their inherent nature of working together. When you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing what scientists have discovered about why they fly that way.

5 Lessons from the Goose: Applying the Bird's Behavior to Our Own Teamwork Strategies:

1. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for others behind him. There is 71 % more flying range in a V-formation than flying alone.

The lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

2. Whenever a goose flies out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

The lesson: It's harder to do something alone than together.

3. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose and another goose flies point.

The lesson: Shared leadership and interdependence give us each a chance to lead as well as opportunities to rest.

4. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

The lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging and not discouraging.

5. When a goose gets sick or wounded and falls, two geese fall out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay until it revives or dies. Then they catch up or join another flock.

The lesson: Stand by your colleagues in difficult times as well as in good times.

As employees of Datamax, we must move ahead with a positive outlook. We must unite and work together. We must forget about the obstacles in every opportunity and learn to see that there are opportunities in every obstacle: Together we can make a difference.

-Text compiled and shared by Barry Simon; original author unknown