Marcia's Leadership Q and As: Saving a Struggling Team or Business

Q. Some of our teams have struggled, but now our company is struggling. How can we turn these around?

A. At various times, teams and organizations struggle, flounder, and some fail. It’s not uncommon, but for the staff and customers involved, it can be disheartening, frustrating, or catastrophic. In the Bay area, 90% of startups fail. And of the corporations listed on the first Fortune 500 list in 1955, more than 70% of them no longer exist. Failure is an option. But does it need to be?

To guide you in how to turnaround a team or business takes an assessment of where you currently are and how you got there. What are the root causes that took you on this declining journey? Someone who is knowledgeable in business systems can assess your situation and give you some insightful perspectives. Your openness to learning and trying some new approaches will be needed for your success. If you want to do what you’ve been doing, you’ll continue to struggle.

Consider what you’re trying to accomplish on your team and how it contributes to your business. Deeply understand your customers. Talk to them, and watch them using your service and products. How can you serve them better? How can you support them? Is it easy to contact you if they have a problem?

Most struggling businesses or teams are not clear with what they need to do Together; don’t have free-flowing information or communication; lack focus or training or the materials to do the job; and have too many barriers and internal competition to excel. Look at how decisions are made. Do you look at data over time? What is the culture? Are people happy about delighting your customers?

Connect the dots. Your team is like a jigsaw puzzle, and the pieces need to fit together. The more self-aware you are, the better. Put the problems out on the table. Listen to the ideas from everyone to improve.