When you think of companies or organizations that have a strong sense of teamwork, who do you think of?
Red Cross, the Marines, Habitat for Humanity, the Blue Angels Flight Team, Boston Celtics? What about customer service companies? Do you think of Walmart, McDonald’s, a General Motors dealership? The fact is, each and every one of these companies mentions teamwork as part of their core compentencies, as part overall mission statement. But, some are entirely more effective at using teamwork as a branding tool, while others fall tragically short. Why do you think that is?
I think the reason why so many companies fall flat with their customers is that many managers think all they have to do is say the word “teamwork” and automatically they have a culture of teamwork. There are managers who use the word teamwork and expect it to magically transform the company into a high performing team and there are other managers who never, ever use the word teamwork yet they run companies that we automatically associate teamwork with their companies.
Build teamwork from the inside, out and not the other way around. You can’t tell your customers one thing, yet build an entirely different culture on the inside. The next time you hear an organization say how important teamwork is to them, think back to your last experience with them. Was that teamwork reflected by its employees? And did that elevate the level of service you received or enhance the experience you had.
Teamwork is more than a 10 cent word appearing in a mission statement. Make it a part of the fabric of your Company.
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoy/3963201475/
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