Eight Below for Devotion, Loyalty and Teamwork

The feature film, Eight Below, presented by Walt Disney is a wonderful example of devotion, loyalty, and teamwork.

"The film tells the story of three members of a scientific expedition: Jerry Shepard, his best friend, Cooper, and a rugged American geologist, who are forced to leave behind their team of beloved sled dogs due to a sudden accident and perilous weather conditions in Antarctica. During the harsh, Antarctic winter, the dogs must struggle for survival alone in the intense frozen wilderness for over 6 months."
- Film Description

The humans are leaving by plane. The plane will return in three hours to rescue the dogs before winter sets in with a massive storm. To make sure the dogs are there for the return trip, their collars are fastened tightly to chains. The plane doesn't return.

One by one the dogs slip their collars or help each other slip the collars. One doesn't make it. The dogs revert to pack behavior, which is a highly structured team environment.

When a flock of birds is seen nearby, Maya, the lead sled dog takes over. She positions the six dogs and then circles and crawls toward the birds. Finally she barks and charges the birds and drives them into the jaws of the waiting dogs. The dogs eat; sometimes abandoned supplies from the Soviet Union; sometimes on a killer whale carcass, and sometimes more birds.

Finally, the human crew is able to put together some financing. They hopscotch their way across the Southern Pacific and the Antarctic, arriving in a borrowed tracked vehicle and trailer. They find five sled dogs in good condition. Maya, badly wounded in a fight with a leopard seal, was still alive and being cared for by the rest of the dogs.

The dogs stayed together for warmth and comfort as well as protection. They hunted together and cared for each other. They never sat around and moped or complained about supplies and lack of support from home base. They survived. Isn't that what work teams do?



Eight Below for Devotion, Loyalty and Teamwork - To learn more about this author, visit Don Doman's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Eight Below for Devotion, Loyalty and Teamwork
	The feature film, Eight Below, presented by Walt Disney is a wonderful example of devotion, loyalty, and teamwork.
Teamwork... Biz Buzz or Biz Bust?
	Teamwork is lauded as a cure for many ills as well as the “right way to be”; while teamwork is essential in any business environment it is not always the most efficient or beneficial way to get things done. Knowing ...
Teamwork
	I suspect that all of us in the world of business, athletics, music, etc., recognize the importance of teamwork. Old cliches come to mind, like, "Individuals score points, but teams win games."
Revealed key elements of a successful customer loyalty programs
	Customer loyalty programs refer in general to points rewarded to customers for either brand or company loyalty. These types of customer loyalty programs can be a very effective form of promotion as long the rewards ...
Creating An Environment of Trust Support and Teamwork in Your Business
	One cannot hear or read about any success story without a reference to teamwork, trust and support. I believe that teamwork, trust and support are paramount to every business success. And I also know that most busin...

---

Related Forum Posts
	Non Commercial Food Service Handbook