Lessons from MARS: an interview with Carlos Valdes Dapena

Citation

Tracy, M. (2019), "Lessons from MARS: an interview with Carlos Valdes Dapena", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 33 No. 1, pp. 37-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-01-2019-169

Valdes-Dapena (2018) recently published a book, Lessons from Mars: how one global company cracked the code on high performance and teamwork. Much of the business literature on teams starts with the assumption that teams must be developed with teamwork or team-building exercises. Carlos thinks differently. Teams do not need manufactured group work; they need to work together and collaborate. As collaboration is integral to human nature, and inner conflict often contributes to the drive to succeed, Carlos has developed working methods and tools to support this work regarding collaboration in teams. Although a number of business scholars have explored the workings of teams, Carlos Valdes Dapena made the analysis of teams and collaboration of his life’s work. In this interview, Carlos – a consultant, author, and entrepreneur – draws on three decades of work and study to describe his work with collaboration and teams. He explores team vulnerabilities, psychological safety, good team leaders, and the inner workings of teams.

You’ve studied teams your whole life, how do you identify the successful ones?

I think this is simple, are the outcomes now better than they would be? Could we have done this without all of us? I know by looking year over year. Is Year 2 better than Year 1? Engagement is a good measurement as defined by Gallup or anybody else. The successful ones have an extra discretionary effort. Ask the exemplars, can they attest to this, that with teams our results are better? Team members can tell me about their results over the last year and how things have changed; they provide self-reports. Team members report that things are different. We use surveys and they report this.

Would you say that culture plays a role in determining what teams accomplish? How?

There are multiple factors here with culture. Culture doesn’t stand alone as a reflection of the organization and its values. The culture at Mars reinforced collaboration and teams. This starts with the artifacts, time clock, no executive parking; everybody signs in and out according to a time clock, even the CEO. The spaces in Mars are all open plan. There are no walls. Every place around the world is the same. There is an egalitarian ethos. Mars buildings are two stories high. This is consistent across the board. When we bought Wrigley this was evident, there was a high-rise building that we sold. Culture enables teams at Mars. Contrast this with IBM that cherishes its hierarchy with executive perks. Culture supports teams in Mars and enables collaboration.

Do the backgrounds of the successful teams you’ve studied have anything in common?

The best are the teams that are intentional about this and they are organized around these principles of collaboration. Intentionality is the differentiator. Teams who apply the practices sustain and renew, stop, reflect, and move forward. These are the adaptable ones. Mars teams were terrible at learning, no after-action reviews, just moved on and kept moving. Exceptional teams build practice around after-action reviews, reflection, thoughts, and reactions. Exceptional teams are intentional about collaboration, build relationships that need collaboration, and build in regular reflection and adaptation.

Can you expand on collaboration in teams? What is the essence?

Collaboration is an attitude or a mind-set. This involves trust, reliability, and mental models. Collaboration is co creation, a method or a tool we should employ in some places and not in others. Collaboration is a style and a value. Collaboration is teamwork. I like to make a distinction in what I call orthodoxy and orthopraxy, the first being everyone together, the latter is here’s the work and here’s what we are to do. It is the context and the content. These are both important to establish because this frames what we will do in a collaborative way.

Why is it so hard for teams to be successful?

People need to find collaborative value. Leaders need to be convinced of this. When leaders change, or there are different approaches, there’s no harmony. When leaders change, things need to be realigned and built again. Things change. There are fundamentals that need to be aligned, starting with collaboration. People long for collaboration. They wish for this. In my work with teams, this is central.

With all of the “noise” in teams, how can teams actually hit the mark with collaboration?

First, start with the definitions and what you mean by collaboration and teamwork as a co-creator. In the act of co-creation, explore “what does it feel like”: reaching new heights, learning, creating new knowledge, a sense of energy and enjoyment. If the work won’t benefit with this collaboration and teamwork, don’t do it. If you are settling for something else, you aren’t realizing the benefits. You need a clear read of the situation, so you start where they are in the team. Don’t try to convince them about this, clear a path to this. For this to work, you need a clear purpose. You need a compelling why, why this is important, usually with looking at the deliverables of the team. Also, evidence to support collaboration may come with surveys, interviews, and values.

You’ve observed that true collaboration takes an extra effort. What’s in it for the team?

The most important thing is to build this as a practice, take this time, and make this a habit. This is an investment, with incredibly tangible benefits. It requires patience and a combined and continued effort. This is a new way of being together and can be taught. Stick with this for a full year. You will see results in relationships, trust, and business outcomes. There is a connection here with individual motivations and groups. What drives this is when individuals link their motives to join the group. Teamwork is an individual skill. Embrace this and answer this question, what do people need to learn. There’s much the team can do to build this muscle, to learn these new sets of skills.