Meta. It’s a term that means “self-reference” and was born in postmodernism, a description of the ideology, culture, and literature of the late 2oth century. Postmodernism, particularly in regard to literature, is marked by the rise of dark humor, unreliable narrators, and parody as a way to comment on our world in a fresh and interesting way. Think M. Night Shyamalan and plot-twists.

Yes, it’s true, teams can be ineffective. But they don’t have to be that way. Well-run teams are creative and innovative. They improve processes, save money, and delight customers (internal and external).

Team is defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary as “joint action by a group of people in which individual interests are subordinated to group unity and efficiency.” When reading this, I am reminded of the comments from a member of one of our early teams about the challenges the team has experienced.

Daniella Picciotti still remembers her first auditing experiences. On a supplier audit with more senior colleagues, it was difficult to determine her role. 

A focus on customers should help any organization improve. Satisfy the customer and success will follow, or so the thinking goes. And it makes sense. Without customers, the best product or service is irrelevant.