{"id":2883,"date":"2017-01-27T16:21:52","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T21:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/bhr\/?p=2883"},"modified":"2020-03-02T16:29:34","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T21:29:34","slug":"family-team-something-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/bhr\/2017\/01\/27\/family-team-something-else\/","title":{"rendered":"Family, Team or Something Else?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By John Murtha<\/p>\n

I was on temporary assignment recently at another hotel in our company that was between general managers.\u00a0 This historic property had joined us less than a year before I arrived and one thing that immediately impressed me was how quickly the associates had bought into our way of doing business.\u00a0 They operated like they\u2019d been part of the \u201cfamily\u201d for a long time.<\/p>\n

While still on that assignment, I came across a Harvard Business Review blog posting titled \u201cYour Company Is Not a Family\u201d<\/a>. <\/span>It caused me to wonder if using the term \u201cfamily\u201d about our business was inaccurate and that, as asserted on the blog, we function more like a \u201cteam\u201d.<\/p>\n

This blog posting maintains that successful teams assemble talented individuals into high performance groups with the intent to win games and championships.\u00a0 Team members may come and go over time but the identity and commitment of the team is consistent.\u00a0 There is no assurance of guaranteed employment, yet trust is bred in an atmosphere of \u201cteam success\u201d over \u201cindividual glory\u201d.\u00a0 And, even when team members move on, their alumni status is honored.<\/p>\n

\"David
David Ortiz, Source: Creative Commons, Keith Allison<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this model, one thing that\u2019s found is continuity of senior leadership, represented by the team\u2019s owner, managers, coaches and certain players.\u00a0 Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots exemplify this theory.\u00a0 So do David Ortiz and Tom Brady.\u00a0 Between 2001 and 2017, their teams won three and five world championships, respectively, even though in both cases they were the only players left from the first championship season.\u00a0 Every other player changed but winning continued.<\/p>\n

Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The Patriots defeated the Falcons 34-28. Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Conversely, families are expected to maintain a \u201clifetime relationship with a sense of belonging\u201d.\u00a0 While this \u201csense of belonging\u201d certainly describes what I\u2019ve experienced in some of the hotels in which I\u2019ve worked over the years, there were times when change was needed and I\u2019ve had to dismiss people for non-performance.\u00a0 Would I dismiss a family member?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 Would I want a family member to leave to join another family that offered them more opportunity?\u00a0 No!<\/p>\n

When I initially wrote about this topic on my HOTELSmag.com blog, I received 8 reader responses.\u00a0 Two agreed with the \u201cteam\u201d concept, two said it could be both family and team, and four said it was \u201cneither\u201d or something in the middle.\u00a0 No one came down firmly on the \u201cfamily\u201d side of the debate.<\/p>\n

Taking my research a bit further, I found lots of opinions posted on-line about this topic.\u00a0 Edward Kim, co-founder of Gusto, wrote a response that disagreed with the \u201cYour Company is not a Family\u201d blog, stating \u201cunlike a team, which must always optimize decisions that will result in the shortest path to their goal, we\u2019ll often optimize decisions to do the right thing for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

In contrast, a rather blunt statement from Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, reads: \u201cWe\u2019re a team, not a family.\u00a0 We\u2019re like a pro sports team, not a kid\u2019s recreational team.\u00a0 Coaches\u2019 job at every level of Netflix [is] to hire, develop and cut smartly, so we have stars in every position.\u201d This perspective is reinforced by another Hastings quote: \u201cAt most companies, average performers get an average raise.\u00a0 At Netflix, they get a generous severance package\u201d.<\/p>\n

Stacy French Reynolds of business consulting firm Anchor Advisors believes that you should \u201ctreat your team like staff, not family\u201d.\u00a0 This requires building and maintaining a corporate culture that incorporates many of the \u201cpositive aspects of a family\u201d such as caring for one another, but \u201cwithout incorporating the negative aspects\u201d like prioritizing individuals above the health of the enterprise. \u00a0Your company\u2019s culture should be based on a set of values that have been identified as essential to success.\u00a0 Integrity, excellence and creativity are examples of corporate values.<\/p>\n

In my company, we place great emphasis on responsible financial management, creating memorable experiences for guests and treating each associate as a valuable contributor.\u00a0 These and other qualities are known as our Core Values; they have existed for a very long time and drive everything we do.\u00a0 So, when we interview candidates for positions within our company, we talk about these values.\u00a0 All new associates learn more about them during orientation.\u00a0 Annual performance reviews measure how well each one of us model and promote the Core Values.\u00a0 And, people are rewarded for living them out each day.<\/p>\n

Successful companies seem to have an enduring culture with a documented set of values that\u2019s extremely well communicated throughout the organization and put into practice every day by all associates.\u00a0 In such an environment, people may come and go, but they\u2019ll always feel cared for and appreciated while the company continues to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Omni Hotels & Resorts Core Values<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

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Marriott International Core Values<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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  • Memorable Experiences<\/li>\n
  • Leaders Creating Leaders<\/li>\n
  • Local Market Leadership<\/li>\n
  • Responsible Financial Management<\/li>\n
  • Strengthen Brand Value<\/li>\n
  • Each Associate is a Valuable Member<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/td>\n

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