Building Teams the TR Way

There is a really interesting group of people in Team Rubicon. I’m not just talking about military and civilian; it gets a lot more diverse than that. We’re talking about bringing together an Air Force captain, a rocket scientist (seriously, a real rocket scientist), an advertising professional, and a firefighter and making them all play nice. And it doesn’t just go “nice,” it goes great.

To get a better idea of who Team Rubicon is, I decided to take a (very scientific) survey of a (highly randomized) selection of TR members. The results speak for themselves.

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Not going to lie, I thought more people would like Ke$ha. I know I’ve heard “Timber” being played at the FOB when we’re starting to crack beers. Tuna Sandwiches made a surprisingly strong showing, as did brussel sprouts. I was a little disappointed with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s responses, because, come on, who doesn’t like a kilt-wearing wrestling maniac turned movie star? Get your head on straight, people.

The only unanimous responses were the color Red and Service – 100% on both, which is probably good.

My point is this: when building a team, whether it’s for a creative project at work or a pick-up game of hoops in the alley, you shouldn’t just pick people who all think and act the same. You’ve got to throw in the weird guy who likes waking up early and flavored coffee creamer – he might be a beast on the boards. Background and experience isn’t the most important trait for your teammates. It’s passion. And at TR, we’ve got that.

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