The Five Teams Every Organization Needs

In a recent article, I suggested that every organization needs some variation of five teams. Since Hurricane Katrina, I have observed the Activity Committee (the equivalent of an employee motivation team) at a client company swing into high gear. They are currently running a raffle with prizes bought, including a 27" color TV, with American Express travel point redemptions. They will be sending several employees to work in the Red Cross relief efforts. The discussion has just begun with additional plans to ...

hold a company-wide garage sale, hold a bake sale, and run more raffles. Simultaneously, the team is raising money for two employees who were in a car crash on the freeway last week. Other employees will help Habitat for Humanity build housing to send to the Gulf Coast, and the company will offer short term employment to evacuees. Additionally, we are collecting non-perishable items that the Salvation Army picks up and sends to the Gulf Coast.

At TechSmith, we matched employee contributions up to $100. Employment sites arouind the country are duplicating these efforts with creative ideas. Fund raising to share the wealth with those who have lost so much is limited only by the imagination of the thinkers. Think on and share your ideas. Employers can do a lot to help employees deal with tragedy.