“One of the hallmarks of Onex is that since I started the company in 1983, every professional who has joined the company at our Toronto head office is still here,” says Schwartz. “We’ve had no turnover.”
Above all else, Schwartz considers himself a team leader. He has only been able to guide his company through the ups and downs it has experienced by guiding the very team behind it. “Collectively, we make Onex a dynamic and collegial place to work,” says Schwartz of his corporate team, “which is why we’ve had almost no turnover among our professional staff in the more than 20 years since we started the company.”
Part of maintaining a strong team is making your team members feel like they are making a valuable contribution to the company, and that their voices are being heard. Every Monday morning, Schwartz gathers his top executives and decision makers in the Onex boardroom to discuss the merits of transactions and strategies, both new and old. If one of his key team players is unable to be at the meeting in person, Schwartz makes sure they are there brought in by telephone.
One by one, Schwartz goes around the table and lets each and every one of his staff have their say about the future direction of their company. And, they do not have to go along with whatever Schwartz proposes. If one person raises a doubt about a proposal on the table, the team may still proceed, but with greater caution. If two executives raise their dissenting voices, then the deal is dropped right then and there.
Schwartz takes both the ideas and the criticisms from all his team members seriously. Of them, he says, “I consider myself fortunate to work with one of the most capable teams in our business. They are as tireless as they are inventive, and those qualities have served the interests of shareholders as well.”
Part of the reason for the openness with which Onex executives communicate rests on the fact that company places limited emphasis on the chain of command. “We operate it in a very team-oriented, team-spirited way, and very non-hierarchical,” says Schwartz. “It’s more of a partnership than like a hierarchical corporation.”
Another key to maintaining a strong corporate team is to ensure it never remains static. While no company should strive for turnover, Schwartz understood that if his company was going to stay competitive, it would have to keep bringing in new blood full of fresh ideas. “The strength of Onex is the strength of that team of people,” he says. “And not just the team as it is today. We keep adding to it all the time, younger people who work their way up.”
So, if everybody is on an equal footing and no voice is more powerful than the next, what exactly is the role of the CEO? Personality, says Schwartz. “The personality still comes from the Chief Executive.”
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 Teamwork
|
| |
You don’t have to look far to know that the message for success so far in 2004 is teamwork.
|
|
Lesson #1: A Company Is Only As Strong As The Team Behind It
|
| |
 “One of the hallmarks of Onex is that since I started the company in 1983, every professional who has joined the company at our Toronto head office is still here,” says Schwartz. “We’ve had no turnover.”
|
|
Never Quit: A Lesson from The Apprentice
|
| |
 I was shocked after a recent task on The Apprentice, when a candidate resigned instead of taking her chances in the boardroom. After having a tough time as project manager - and knowing her teammates certainly didn’...
|
|
Can Anyone Be A Major League Pitcher?
|
| |
 Alan Shimel has a fantastic post up titled Do they have to grow up? As I read it, I thought of some of the great lessons my dad taught me when I was a little kid and how hard they must have been for him to carry ou...
|
|
21 Secrets of Establishing Effective Teams
|
| |
Teams and team work can be very effective in many organizational settings if, and only if, they are formed correctly and used to solve problems that are best resolved by several people working together.
This articl...
|
|
|
Gerry Schwartz Newsletter
Get our free newsletter to learn more about Gerry Schwartz and other famous entrepreneurs!
|
|
|
