Lessons from the Chilean Miner Rescue: A high performing team in action

How would your team cope in a crisis?

Do you remember where you were 7 years ago today, on October 13th, 2010? Who were you with? What were you doing? You may recall witnessing the infamous rescue of 33 men from the San Jose gold mine in Chile. 

These men were buried alive 650 meters underground with only enough food to feed ten of them for two days. The idea of rescuing these individuals alive seemed impossible with estimates of their survival rate as low as 1 and 2 per cent[1]. As they were lifted to safety one-by-one and greeted by raptures of applause, people began to question. How, after 69 days underground and 40 unsuccessful drilling attempts, did these individuals see the light of day again?

This story is the perfect example of a high performing team in action. By exploring the details of the story further, there are a few key questions you can ask yourself to determine if you’re operating within a high performing team and how you might cope if faced with a crisis situation.