Welcome to Paceline LLC

 

Just like in project teams, each individual brings unique strengths, experience, objectives, and attitudes to the group.  A paceline is a good metaphor for my philosophy of what will make your project team and initiative successful.  Time to break away from the pack.

 

 

I like to be active in my life and cycling is my favorite exercise.  I love riding on the roads and especially on the trails and in the mountains.  Though I participate in cycling events, I am not a “racer” but I am a fan of the sport and follow road and mountain bike racing closely.  If you look at the Paceline LLC logo, I purposefully designed it to represent the handlebars on a road bike.

 

Many times in my career I have had to use a unique name for a project, either for confidentiality or when tied to a change initiative.  When collaboration, teamwork, effort, courage, and energy were required for a successful outcome I chose the name Paceline.

 

If you are not familiar with a paceline, let me start with a term that I believe you will have heard, peloton.  Very simply, peloton is a group.  It is most commonly referred to as a group of cyclists riding together in a large pack in a race.  The peloton is comprised of the majority of riders from different teams that are competing against each other in the race.  But they ride together in the peloton to conserve energy. 

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At some point in the race, a group of riders will want to break away from the peloton.    This small group, usually 5-10 riders all from different teams, will work together and ride in a single file line; a paceline.  

 

The rider at the front of the line will be doing the most work, and those behind him will be getting the benefit of a draft.  Thus, they will be going the same speed but at a reduced effort.  To maintain the effectiveness of the pace line, riders take turns "pulling."  This means the riders rotate with each one taking a turn at the front (being “in the wind”).  This is where you do the most work and your paceline companions get a moment and use a little bit less energy.  What this accomplishes is that this small group can go faster than the peloton and build an advantage, and they can influence and change the outcome of the overall race.

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In every situation where change, improvement, and transformation is called for, you need a group of individuals that will break away from the pack and move a little quicker.  For strategic initiatives, especially initiated and implemented by project teams, the keys to success can be found in the paceline:

 

• Collaboration:  Be faster and stronger by working together.  If you try to go alone or do not do your part it is immediately transparent to your team members and will lead to failure.  And remember, the paceline is ofter made up of riders from different teams, but all are in the same race.  This illustrates that diversity of role or function or opinion can still work together.    Failure in a paceline is you end up back in the peloton….or the status quo. 
   

• Communication:  Whether verbal encouragement to keep pushing or a subtle flick of the elbow, each rider is letting everyone know what is happening and how they are feeling.  They are also motivating each other to be successful.  They may have different personal objectives, but in this moment it is critical they work together.
   

• Courage:  It is always harder to be in the paceline than in the peloton. You can hide in the peloton as you are one of many.  To make the push, work with others, and try to go further, faster requires those with courage and the understanding that their effort will help their teammates in the peloton reach their goals.