Since 2017, I've worked as a professional coach. I've helped over 10 organizations, 50 teams, and 500 people improve their teamwork.

I have learned what makes teams strong and effective in a world that is always changing.

Many leaders call this a “transformation.” It means moving from old ways of working to new and better ways.

To me, it’s about moving away from the old “factory” style or the Industrial Age. In that style, one person is in charge, and everyone follows. Now, we need a new way where ideas, teamwork, and learning are what truly matter.

Today, the world moves fast. Success comes from working together. It also comes from sharing ideas and learning quickly.

Niels Pflaeging, who wrote “Organize for Complexity,” calls this change a shift from Alpha to Beta. Alpha, or the Industrial Age, is the old, top-down way. Beta, the Knowledge Age, is the new, team-based, people-first way.

Old Way (Alpha or Industrial Age): In the past, companies were like pyramids. The boss at the top made all the decisions. People worked alone and followed orders. Everyone did their own job, side by side, but not together.

New Way (Beta or Knowledge Age): Today, companies need to work more like living cells—connected and team-based. The focus is on creating customer value (the work), not just managing people. In fact, people don’t like to be managed; they prefer to be led. Customers guide what happens, so the company listens and adapts. People work together and help each other. Teams try new things and learn fast to get great results.


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For companies that have made this change, I have seen five steps that really work:

1. Start with honesty.
2. Try new ways with one team first.
3. Focus on people and teamwork.
4. Make all work easy to see.
5. Encourage fun and celebrate wins.

These steps help teams achieve better results.

1. Start with Honesty

Real change starts with honesty. If your company doesn’t value truth, it will struggle to reach its goals.

The first step is to talk openly with leaders and teams to find out what’s really happening. Look for the biggest problems and risks, and don’t be afraid to bring them into the light—because nothing gets better if you hide it.

Once you know where things stand, imagine together what the future could look like. Build this vision as a team, so everyone feels included and excited.

Then, choose a small group of leaders who truly believe in the change and have the power/authority to make it happen. These leaders should set the example in every meeting, showing the new behaviors you want to see.

When leaders go first and act with honesty, trust grows across the whole company.

Example:

At a national health care company, we began with 3 simple pain points: reputation, cycle times, and failure patterns. We shared them with leaders and asked for feedback. Everyone agreed these were the most pressing issues to address. That simple act built buy-in before we touched any process.


2. Try new ways with one team first.

The best leaders don’t try to change everything at once. Instead, they start small by picking one team to test new ideas.

This team acts like an experiment. Leaders stay close, watch what happens, and help fix any problems that arise. Every week, they check in, see what’s working, and learn from both wins and mistakes.

When this first team succeeds, others want to join in.

That’s how real change spreads—by showing proof that new ways work.

To do this well:

· Leaders choose a team with clear goals and a supportive leader.
· They set a short time frame, like 90 days, and focus on just a few important goals.
· Each week, they inspect to review progress and make changes if needed.
· They also share what they learn so that everyone can see the results.

Example:

A pilot team in another healthcare organization built part of the product. They used a new platform and technology. They even called themselves “New Direction.” In a short time, they turned a broken product into a reliable, working solution. Team members learned new skills and supported each other, bringing their best to every task.

Results soared.

That data opened the door for the next six teams.


3. Focus on people and teamwork.

Speed comes from building skills, not from pushing people harder. The best organizations focus on their people and their culture. They treat everyone as capable humans, not just “resources.”

Five values guide how they work together:

Focus: work on one thing, finish it well, then start the next.

Openness: share ideas, progress, and truth freely.

Courage: run smart experiments; learn from failure.

Respect: treat each other with kindness.

Commitment: keep promises and follow through.

These groups reward team wins. They don’t focus on individual achievements.

This shift moves power away from the center, or command-and-control leaders, and toward the teams. It lets the people closest to the customer make decisions.

Empowered teams can decide for customers. They don’t need to ask their managers. Niels Pflaeging's diagram below shows this. It lets teams act on what they know best. Leaders support these teams by giving them training and the skills they need for future work. Mistakes will happen, but with regular feedback, teams learn quickly and improve. The people closest to the customer understand their problems best, so it makes sense to trust them to make decisions.