It takes an effective team to attract and serve a community in business these days. With real-time online reviews and feedback via the Internet, and instant relationships via social media, a voice from the top that is inconsistent with what is heard from the firing line defines a dysfunctional and noncompetitive company for today’s customer. Thus team makeup is the critical success factor. A few companies seem to be leading the way in building and maintaining ultra-effective teams, sometimes called extreme teams. These include companies across multiple industry spectrums, notably NetFlix in entertainment, AirBnB in hospitality, and Whole Foods for groceries. I see the commonalities detailed well in the new book, “Extreme Teams,” by Robert Bruce Shaw. Shaw is a consultant specializing in team performance, and he brings real experience building and working with extreme teams in companies like the ones mentioned above. In my many years of experience in business, and recent work as a mentor to entrepreneurs, I have seen the business world change, and can relate well to his five success practices paraphrased here: I recognize this is a revolution in the way most companies and employees work today, viewing work as a set of tasks with no passion, new members selected primarily on past experience and functional skills, and viewing conflict as something to be avoided or a sign of failure. They value harmony among members, and measure success as a function of the number of priorities concurrently managed. Building and managing teams along the new lines outlined is not easy, and that’s why it’s a real competitive advantage when you do it. It takes a new kind of management team with a strong belief that a company can thrive with a larger purpose, total customer experience is critical to success, and the new generation of workers needs a new culture of passion and relationships. As hard as it is to build extreme teams from the beginning, it’s much more difficult to turn around a failing or stagnant team. In fact, many would say that it’s impossible, without first replacing the top leaders and key team members in an existing organization. Thus, if you are a business leader who intends to survive and thrive in the long-term, it’s time to start today by checking the culture of your teams. Your career and your company’s future depend on it.
