In the not so distant past, when we thought about teams we had an image of a small group of peers sitting around a table sharing ideas about how to solve a problem. Generally, these teams were comprised of several people who had worked together for many years, with the addition of a few new people that served on the team so they "could learn how it is done."I suspect that we have all served on teams like this. They are typically very efficient and generally provide suggestions that are compatible to the history of the organization (in other words, these teams tend to find new ways to continue how it has always been done).This way of teaming has historically worked fairly well as long as there are not major changes in the environment the organizations operate within. The problem is that few, if any, modern organizations operate in isolation.Most organizations are dealing with an environment that is increasingly global and/or has cultural implications. Take, for example, the following situation:

A friend of mine is the training manager for a company that manufactures high performance automotive parts. There are just over 100 people that work at this company and most of them have worked there for at least 25 years. There is essentially no turnover in personnel because "it is a fun place to work" and "everyone feels like family."It is interesting to note that most of the employees were attracted to this company because their hobby is old school muscle cars. The employees of this company spend their weekends together at races and car shows. Over the years they have become close friends with each other and tend to watch each other's backs.

A small part of this company's business is supplying parts for car manufacturers, but mostly their business is selling aftermarket parts to automotive parts stores. This company was founded in the mid-1960s by a man whose hobby was drag racing and for many years the company did extremely well manufacturing and selling high performance parts.However, high performance parts sales have steadily declined, and the company is seeking ways to regain their market share. The owner of this business knows that he must make some changes, but does not know what changes need to be made. He decides to select a group of people to help him figure out the future of the organization.What criteria should he use to decide on the membership of this new team?