SETTING OUTRAGEOUS GOALS AND ACHIEVING THEM: HOW SWIMMING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL IS A TEAM SPORT
Barrington, Illinois
In August, 2011, Doug McConnell became only the 48th person over age 50 to swim the English Channel, in 14 hours that were divided between heavy waves and pitch black darkness.
Doug talks about the set of rules that is established to swim the English Channel …
His gripping story that tells how, in the two years leading up to “A Long Swim,” he assembled and trained a team to get him across. In the process, Doug employed some powerful principles that apply to every successful business and the people who work there:
- Goal-setting
- Recruiting and motivating the team
- Preparation
- Setbacks and surprises
- Achieving success…
- And enjoying the humor along the way.
His team was unusual in that it consisted of his wife and four children, ages 13 to 24 – not the “MBAs of Open Water Swimming,” who most Channel aspirants tap, but ordinary people willing to embrace an outrageous goal.
Doug shares a unique example of how an effective team can deliver something bigger than the sum of its individual parts, and how to guard against team dysfunction. He will also reveal how a cornerstone of the overall goal was the effort to support a bigger cause: to raise money for research on ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and from which “A Long Swim” borrowed its name.
Through story-telling and anecdotes, Doug will take the audience across the English Channel with him. They will:
- Shiver when they hear about 63º water
- Cringe watching five-foot waves wash over him
- Marvel at the discipline required to count 40,538 strokes
- Hope (as he did) that they won’t encounter stinging jellyfish
- Wonder if a pre-swim meal of greasy fish and chips was a good idea
- Reflect on a swim lasting 14 hours, 18 minutes
The audience will take away three important lessons that can be applied to every business setting:
- How to take advantage of the “Arrogance of Ignorance”
- How to maximize their “R.O.L.:” (Return on Luck)
- How to create and sustain a team culture in which every member shares the goal of “The Speedo Guy”
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK DOUG FOR YOUR GROUP:
Contact Doug at Doug@ALongSwim.com or 847-277-8899
Or Ellen McConnell Blakeman at Ellen@ALongSwim.com or 630-325-6321
Testimonials:
“Doug’s message of assembling a team and achieving inspiring success will resonate with every business audience.”
John LaSage, Central Region Chairman, Burson Marsteller Public Relations.
“In my business, the team is ever important. When a team works effectively, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Doug’s inspirational story of how he attained success with his team is simply amazing.”
Russ Campion, Client Development Director, William Blair & Company.
“One word that describes Doug is ‘achievement.’ I have been a teammate of his since collegiate swimming 35 years ago. I have been honored to be a member of ‘A Long Swim’ team and help Doug and his family achieve every goal they set.”
David Bishop, Senior Relationship Manager, PNC Wealth Management.