What's on my mind? Human towers, teamwork and tipping points

It was late August, 2017. My first trip with my family to Sitges, Spain just outside Barcelona. It was blazing hot, the beaches were full?and you could feel the excitement in the air. The ‘fiesta major’, their annual celebration of the town’s patron saint, Sant Baromeu (Saint Bartholomew) was about to begin. As people started gathering in the square, with their celebration wrist bands, bandanas and hats I thought what we were about to see was a normal parade with some characters, a band and the local schools showing off their talent. What I experienced was not even close.

The festival lasts 36 hours and starts with the arrival of the grallero flute players at midday and ends with an amazing fireworks display over the ocean and in the middle, is where the magic happens. Magic in motion by a group of the most diverse talent I‘ve ever seen, from very young to very old. The group is called the Castellers . They’re made up of individuals that form a human tower. There are no safety nets, no security ropes, no foam pads on the floor. The only safety device I saw were helmets on the youngest members heads. When I saw them form in the middle of the square at the festival, I could not believe my eyes. At the base, they put their arms around each other and then they started climbing, one by one by one.

They carefully plan their next step, from where to place their hands to how they stand tall to create the best foundation. The “cap de colla” shouts instructions from the ground, watching the tower build and shouts and warns of weak points in the construction while encouraging the children to keep climbing. All you can do is hold your breath and pray (even if you’re not religious). As the tower builds and builds, the smallest child reaches the top to complete the staggering 36 foot human tower – the crowd breaks out in celebration.

The procession begins, the beer flows and the fireworks start to come out of the dragons mouth. All caution is thrown to the wind! I suddenly realise why everyone is wearing the bandanas and hats, as the fireworks come directly toward me, melting my shoe, burning my sisters arm and forcing me to move to the back. Would I do it again??Absolutely.

Meeting with our team in Barcelona after Mobile World Congress (MWC), I was reminded of this wonderful Catalonian tradition. The planning, the precision, the inclusion and most importantly the team work.?Everyone plays their part. They know what role they play and they focus intently to ensure the safety of their team. They encourage others to be brave and have strength. Their manager not only provides constructive criticism so they can improve their individual position as well as enable a better team foundation. They take calculated risks. They use their individuality and each team develops its own culture. Sound familiar?

With all the talk at MWC about collaboration, strategic partnerships and pragmatic focus on execution, I came to think that maybe we could all take a lesson from the culture of the country?the conference is in – in particular, the Catalonian Castellers. At any moment the Castellers can tip over, I also believe that we are at a tipping point if we’re at a tipping point across the industry in regard to collaboration. We will need to work together to lay the foundation for the digital infrastructure our customers need. One industry. One team.

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