We Are NOT a Family... And That Is a Good Thing

I always laugh when people try to tell me that business should be like family. I have to disagree. If we look at how families often function with power struggles, conflict and resentments that can go unresolved for years, this is exactly how dysfunctional businesses operate.  

I see the good intentions behind the comparison of business and family. It just misses the mark a bit. A great business should be run like a brotherhood/sisterhood- as in the way military, sports, or a co-ed fraternity/sorority should function. Primarily because that's where people of diversity and different backgrounds come together for a common good. That’s where the strength in your business is going to originate.

Great teams don't happen in business just because you’re  working together in the same industry, department, or because your offices share a door. They happen in the way people are valued, collaborative, respected, and how they challenge each other to succeed.  If one part of the team is not thriving, the whole team suffers. 

We’ve got to have each other’s back, from leadership down to the newest hire. When your team is strong, you’re all leaders. Brotherhood is a two way street, and It's not about our strong players carrying the weak ones. It’s finding and shaping everybody's strengths and seeing the value in people as individuals so we can crush it as a team.

Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” If we are honest,  under typical circumstances, we are spending just as many, if not more, hours on the clock with our co-workers as  we spend at home with our families. So how are we shaping each other? We have to take a critical look at that, and make sure the people are put ahead of the business so that the business can thrive. Even in times of crisis and uncertainty, a people-first model will strengthen and solidify our future. 

Talking in terms of sports, if we think about what makes a championship team,  the champions don't show up to get everything done their way and show off what winners they are. They show up to give everything they have. They show up even though they will inevitably strike out, and they get back up to the plate again, having learned something and become stronger from their failures. Championship teams are resilient because they don’t quit, and they don’t point the fingers at each other. They put everything on the table and they stick together. They don’t fall apart when it gets tough, and they don’t let their teammates flounder if they fumble. They keep their eye on a common goal, and know how to recognize strengths in each other in order to get the W.

I am confident in the future of my business primarily because I have a championship team. We have worked hard, and learned a lot together to make our business successful and make others in the community successful through our industry.