Family vs. Team

Last week I attended the Spring Conference of the Virginia Council of CEOs in Virginia Beach. As usual, I heard some great presentations and gleaned some insights that I can use in my day-to-day work. I especially enjoyed a talk from Eric Herrenkohl, author of How to Hire A-Players. He gave me this nugget… 

Your business is not a family. It’s a team. 

I’ve always tried to treat my teammates like family, and we’ve built a great company and culture at Madison+Main. The people I work with are caring and supportive. We have fun. We treat each other with mutual respect. We are inclusive. These are all wonderful attributes of a family, but I’ve recently realized that the people I lead and work with function more like a team. There is a big difference between a business that operates like a family and one that functions as a team.  

1. Family is sometimes dysfunctional. Teams function well together. There are members of your family who will let you down — but alas, you can’t get rid of them. You’ll still see creepy Uncle Teddy at Thanksgiving, but you might not see your cuckoo second cousin because he’s at the Rappahannock Regional Security Center a.k.a. jail. Blood binds you, but you can’t always depend on them.
2. Family doesn’t get pay or benefits or bonuses. Unless you own a family business, family members typically don’t get paid. If they help you, it’s because they’re family. If they don’t help, it’s because they’re family.
3. Teams have goals. A good team member will work to benefit the team. Family members often do things that benefit no one.
4. Poor performance on a team is not tolerated. If you’re not playing well or you don’t show up for work, the team suffers. Bad behavior and absenteeism at a family reunion might be simply excused with “Cousin Mark couldn’t make it because he’s kinda down after losing his job.” Translation, “Cousin Mark is a loser who drinks too much.”
5. Teams are organized and thrive on effectiveness and efficiency. Family often cares for each other but doesn’t necessarily care about working towards a common goal. The goal of most families is to keep the group together. The goal of a team is to win.

How you see your organization and what you call it can have major impacts on your culture and certain behavioral norms. It’s important to select the right word to describe your organization so that you set the appropriate tone and expectations.