Every team is composed of people.
Effective teams are composed of people who are committed to working together toward shared goals.
Extraordinary teams have that same commitment to a shared vision, but the members of these teams have bonds with each other that go beyond “just work” and look a lot more like friendships and family relationships.

Advancing from team to family happens when people begin to care about each other’s lives outside of work – their personal aspirations, interests, and concerns. Also, teams that advance to family accept people as they are, celebrating their strengths without trying to change them.

Listen in to this week’s podcast as Larry Sternberg, Kimberly Shirk and I discuss:

The importance of trust in advancing from team to family
What managers can do to create the level of trust required
The signs that a team is making progress on that journey
The value of team-building events in that process (and the limitations)
How this all connects to the concept of team and organizational culture

We hope you’ll listen in this week. On all our podcasts and blog posts, you have an opportunity to talk back to us through comments and emails. We hope to hear from you! Until next time, manage to make a difference every day!

+ Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.

This post highlights Chapters 37 and 38 of Managing to Make a Difference (Wiley), a handbook for hitting the sweet spot of middle management. Next up: The Great Takeoff Day. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see their latest updates.