In the 90’s I enrolled in a semester course with the National Outdoor Leadership School. A part of the ‘hidden curriculum’ focused on the concept of expedition behavior. At the most basic level expedition behavior is defined as a way of acting and taking personal responsibility that takes in mind your own needs but also those of the group. If you are on an extended expedition there are certain sacrifices that you are going to need to make in order to deal with personality differences. Your personal choices will need to take into consideration the consequences of your actions and how they might effect the entire group. Your risk-management decisions, ability to jump-in and support the group by taking on the tasks that need to be done, anticipating opportunities to encourage and support other members of the group are all part of the ‘team first’ philosophy.

The consequences for the group in selecting the right members for an expedition can be dire. One my first NOLS course we had an individual who was not completely committed to be being in the wilderness for 30-days. The individual ended-up getting injured multiple times and finally required a helicopter evacuation due to the extent of their injury. It completely changed the remaining itinerary of the course.

What critical questions do you ask potential board, staff, and volunteers? How do you communicate your organization’s culture and expectations? Is the honor for a potential team member being asked to serve or in the act of serving the organization? Is the individual going to add more value to your organization or take value from the organization?