Teamwork. The antidote to uncertain times

Santiago Fernandez Vidal

President and Chief Executive Officer

AMERICAN EXPRESS MEXICO

“The current times have brought great opportunities.
great opportunities. Teamwork and solidarity are fundamental elements to generate and sustain positive change in organizations.”

Following the management experiences that included the Japanese quality circles in the 60’s, teamwork is probably one of the most enunciated phrases in the last century. These are three words that have a place in every type of activity involving different people and, therefore, one of the most important objectives for companies and institutions in various industries. The current context has prompted us, at an accelerated pace, to work collaboratively to find mechanisms that will allow us to overcome the challenges that the health crisis has imposed on us.
According to a joint study between TeamEQ and Whalecom, well-being, personal motivation and effectiveness are the variables that have been most affected among work teams around the world as a result of the pandemic, with a decrease of between 6 and 10 percent, according to respondents.

People-focused leadership, the shortest route to goal achievement

According to YouTube’s latest Culture and Trends report, in the last year, one need that has always been there, but intensified with the pandemic, was to connect with others. Today more than ever, people need to feel connected to others, express their emotions, show their frustrations, talk about their aspirations, and seek to listen and feel heard. Therefore, it is important that companies provide tools and platforms for close collaboration between areas, and promote it, from a work culture that allows colleagues to feel heard and proud to belong, so they can focus on achieving common goals.

Inclusion and diversity, the enzyme of teamwork

But what is the best way to achieve genuine collaboration? At American Express, we have found that inclusion and diversity are a chain, and that companies with work cultures that foster and promote these two pillars are more innovative and productive, as confirmed by a study by The Wall Street Journal. In addition, diversity-based teams tend to have a greater variety of perspectives, which translates into increased value for the company, employees and customers.

Yes, companies that are more inclusive and diverse, whether on their boards or at other levels of the organization, are stronger brands and find greater return on investment. So shows a study by the Center for Talent Innovation, which showed that organizations that score high on inclusion and diversity are 70% more likely to succeed in new markets.

Some of the best practices that promote inclusion and diversity in organizations are:

• Having a focus on Inclusion & Diversity in recruitment processes, focusing on talent development and valuing employees from a holistic perspective.
• Establish objectives to promote Inclusion & Diversity, and follow up on them.
• Create awareness of unconscious biases and mechanisms to eradicate them, as they are a blind spot in the way we operate.
• Incorporate Inclusion & Diversity as content of all mentoring and leadership development programs.

For more than 170 years, Inclusion and Diversity have been key areas for American Express. As a demonstration, in 2020 we announced an action plan to promote our diversity, inclusion and equity priorities even further by creating a dedicated Office of Inclusive Business. This includes a series of internal and external initiatives, commitments and resources, backed by $1 billion in investments to enhance diverse representation and equal opportunity for our colleagues, customers, business partners and communities.

Achieving a great work experience for colleagues is one of the most important skills in team management, as one of the pieces to generate an environment of trust in which employees feel free to express their opinion honestly, a space in which there is an openness that allows learning from others and, above all, a place where they feel heard and, therefore, motivated to work for the achievement of objectives.

American Express is focused on valuing talent, recognizing and leveraging differences, and creating an equitable experience for all colleagues, and I am convinced that diverse teams that ensure an inclusive experience for all generate powerful results.