Is your startup doing the Mexican Wave? Insights on organizational behaviour

The Mexican wave is a metachronal rhythm achieved in a sporting arena through the concurrent vertical displacement & intonation of successive groups of spectators. Yes, one can use fancy words to describe this simple cheering form but one just can’t do justice to the phenomenal way in which it unites, excites and invigorates spectators into producing such a visually stimulating spectacle! 

The exact origins of the Mexican wave are debated with multiple competing claims but its rise to prominence on the world stage came during the World Cup Soccer in 1986, especially after it was regularly performed during the finals at Mexico City's main stadium, the Azteca.

I believe that we have a lot to learn and apply to organizational behaviour from the Mexican wave. Think about the last time you were at a stadium and were part of a Mexican wave. Think of each aspect – from the typical lull before someone starts the wave, how others around the initiators pick up on it, how it travels through an entire crowd with remarkable coordination, how nice it looks when you see the wave travel and how it leaves such a large mass of people so invigorated.

Started by a small minority

As per studies conducted by scientists from the University of Budapest in Hungary, it takes only around 30 people to start a Mexican wave. Even a relatively small stadium seats in excess of 30,000 spectators, so we are talking about less than 0.1%. That said, you do need that minimum group size; 1 person cannot start a Mexican wave. However, it is always a single individual that initiates the idea and it depends on that person’s influence in the group whether the idea materializes or not.

Spreads rapidly

A Mexican wave travels at a speed of ~12 metres per second. At 43.2 kmph, that is possibly faster than the average speed of traffic in India! This is only possible because people are watching those next to them and mentally preparing for their turn to leap out of their seats and raise their hands. There is a feeling of anticipation and an immediate call to action. It doesn’t matter what team one is supporting, everyone who comes in the path of the wave participates.

Clear trends for direction

Most Mexican waves tend to move clockwise. An explanation proposed by the research team is that most people are right handed. In a separate research published in his book called The Wavewatcher's Companion, British author Gavin Pretor-Pinney reasoned that the direction of each wave, including the Mexican wave, is governed by which hemisphere of the world it is occurring in.

Different origination points

After the first wave has been performed during a match, it is repeated several times. These successive waves seldom start at the same point as the first wave. Different sections of the crowd pick up on the idea after it has been initiated and go on to initiate it themselves.

Instant energy

Research also suggests that Mexican waves are initiated during duller moments in the match. As the wave spreads across the stadium, it obviously stirs up spectators as each person rises and yells. But at the end of the wave, the overall increase in energy levels is significantly more than what can be attributed to just the stirring up of individuals. It is perhaps the collective resonance and the thrill of co-creating such a visual spectacle that is the real exhilaration of the Mexican wave.

So is your startup doing the Mexican wave?

Let’s put some of the above things in perspective for startups. Ask yourself, when is employee morale at your startup low and when would be a good time to start off your own Mexican wave? Do you have employees coming up with such initiatives that instill energy, generate excitement and mobilize the entire team? Are there smaller initiatives that get started but don’t really catch on? If so, why? Who are the right influencers within your team to get the wave going? In what direction should this wave spread? How to increase the speed and agility with which new measures get taken up?

At the end of the day, there are two significant factors that make the Mexican wave work – the sense of belonging to a group and the sense of purpose in executing something appealing. Does your startup have these senses of belonging and purpose?