Formation flying has been practiced since World War I for strategic, safety and tactical reasons. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, formation flying is defined as “two or more aircraft traveling and maneuvering together in a disciplined, synchronized, pre-determined manner.” The history of this form of flying had its beginnings with fighter aircraft escorting reconnaissance aircraft. Fighter squadrons soon discovered that flying and fighting pairs reduced losses and increased wins.
Senior leaders may be called in to perform some virtual formation flying when asked by sales people to meet with a customer together. Or when you have a team selling situation, multiple roles from your organization may also be involved. Whatever the situation, in a customer-facing meeting, it is important that every member of the team have a pre-determined, agreed upon, and established role. This is critical for your communication and presentation strategy.