What could be considered Marvel Comic’s biggest superhero team, The Avengers, were split in Captain America: Civil War. They were divided because of a difference of opinion, and their whole team ends up fighting each other and doing the bad guys' work for them. This exact same thing happens in businesses all too often, and 99% of the time this is because of a failure of communication at the leadership level. With that in mind, here are 4 big things leaders can learn from the movie:
Company infighting is pointless and harmful. Infighting between departments usually follows a similar pattern. One department attests that their jobs are made difficult by another department. Resentment builds up, and people in the company start seeing each other as rivals instead of team members.
Most surprises are unpleasant surprises. When employees don't know what to expect, even the most benign change, like the introduction of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, can seem like a threat.
People on one side can't fix the problem on their own. One-sided decisions almost always lead to more conflict, because they're only taking into account the needs of that department, not the needs of the company.
If you work as a team, you can take on the world. The most important thing for any organization, whether it's a team of superheroes or a small business, is a clearly communicated strategy.
It's the job of the leaders to keep everyone working together, and the best way to do that is to make sure everyone is on the same page right from the start. Continue reading...