Is there anything better than a great team-up? Whether it’s in sports, comic books, or movies, we’ve all played the game of dreaming up our own roster of uniquely talented individuals whose whole is something much greater than the sum of its parts; the super team.
Despite the optimistic moniker, not every super team is successful in achieving their goals. And when it comes to super teams, you be hard-pressed to find a more compelling example than DC’s Suicide Squad. Despite their derisive nickname, ever-rotating roster of characters, and knack for comical dysfunction, this motley crew of villains and rogues is a perfect case study of team management. With James Gunn’s latest iteration of the Suicide Squad hitting theaters this month, lets looks at a few lessons from the film on how to successfully (or disastrously) collaborate within a team setting.
*OBLIGATORY SPOILER ALERT*
DON’T: Be a passive leader.
Without a doubt the driving force behind the Suicide Squad is Amanda Waller (expertly portrayed by Viola Davis). On the surface she looks the part of a strong leader (albeit one that coerces cooperation via injectable explosive devices); she is decisive, sets clear expectations, and knows how to reign in her team when things go off-script.
Where Waller’s leadership skills fall short is in her preference to sit on the sideline and lead from the comfort of a situation room rather than “get in the trenches” with her team. Her detachment from the actual work not only causes communication breakdowns that leave her in the dark with regards to the mission’s current status; it also leads her team to inherently mistrust her motivations and decision-making moving forward.
Contrast Waller’s leadership style to Idris Elba’s Bloodsport or Joel Kinnaman’s Col. Rick Flag; he is on the ground working through every obstacle alongside his team. This shows the rest of the Squad that Flag has their back and motivates them to go above and beyond when need calls for it, even undertaking two impromptu and dangerous rescue missions that are not their primary objective.
THE TAKEAWAY: When in charge of a team, always lead by example and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. This shows your team that you’re willing to work just as hard and sacrifice just as much which in turns earns their trust and respect.
DON’T: Act before gathering adequate research.
Midway through their mission, Bloodsport and the rest of the Suicide Squad are instructed to divert from their objective and undertake the rescue of Rick Flag from a supposedly hostile group of guerrilla fighters. The Squad proceeds to expertly take out the guerrillas in an action-filled ballet of stealth and gore, only to discover the guerrillas are actually Flag’s saviors rather than his captors.
In this instance, the entire team could have greatly benefited from some extra research and due diligence before acting; doing so would have kept them from doing extra and unneeded work.
THE TAKEAWAY: When we’re under deadline it can sometimes feel like acting quickly is critical but this can lead to missed opportunities or even mistakes. More often than not taking the time to research before you act will help you avoid mistakes and speed up your work in the long run. Remember, slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
DON’T: Compartmentalize critical information.
We’ve already discussed one of Amanda Waller’s shortcomings as the de facto supervisor of the Suicide Squad but equally detrimental tendency to compartmentalize the information she gives her team. Waller never reveals the entire scope of the mission to everyone involved, going as far as assigning Bloodsport and Peacemaker on separate objectives that are at odds; the success of one requires the failure of the other which leads to conflict as the Squad attempts to achieve the goals Waller has set for them.
THE TAKEAWAY: When collaborating, sharing information equally and equitably will help you make sure everyone is rowing in the same direction. Whether it’s clearly relaying your overarching strategy for a project or something as simple as making sure everyone’s individual deadlines align to avoid bottlenecks, always make sure everyone can see the big picture.
DO: Understand your team members strengths and weaknesses.
The Suicide Squad wastes no time in introducing us to the newest incarnation of Task Force X and sending them off on a comically ill-fated first mission in which a number of the Squad meet their ends. The first and most avoidable demise being that of the aptly named Weasel who drowns after the team realizes no one checked whether or not he knew how to swim.
Later in the film, we discover that Bloodsport has a major rat phobia but has been teamed up with Ratcatcher II whose specialty is summoning and controlling rodents, resulting in hilarious dysfunction of their team to no one’s surprise.
THE TAKEAWAY: In both cases, disaster would have been easily avoided had these colleagues taken time to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of their teammates beforehand. No one is perfect though it may be hard for each of us to admit this about ourselves; however being open and honest about your potential failings is a crucial step in maximizing your effectiveness in a collaborative setting.
DO: Clearly define roles and responsibilities.
One of the central character conflicts in The Suicide Squad takes place between Bloodsport and John Cena’s Peacemaker due to both characters possessing nearly identical skills and abilities (e.g. they’re both super-assassins). This leads to a contentious relationship between the two more focused on one-upping one another and vying for leadership of the Squad rather focusing on the mission at-hand.
THE TAKEAWAY: Having overlapping skills on your team can be a blessing and a curse. You may be able to tackle some objectives more efficiently but you’re just as likely to inefficiently duplicate efforts if roles and responsibilities are not clearly communicated to the team before the work begins. Long-story short; when collaborating always make sure everyone understands their individual roles and how those ladder up to your overall objectives.
DO: Build personal relationships with your colleagues
In the climax of the film the Suicide Squad is faced with defeating the kaiju-esque Starro, a seemingly impossible task for a group that up until this point has been the anti-paradigm of an effective team. With a bit of teamwork and grit the Squad is able to take down their foe and achieve something that seemed impossible for the dysfunctional group of misfits we met at the beginning of the story.
What changed that enable the Suicide Squad to overcome their shortcomings and come out on top? It’s the fact that our heroes took the time to learn about one another and build relationships beyond their roles within the mission; allowing them to build trust in one another and learn what each individual needs in order to be successful. By building these kinds of personal relationships with one another any team can be successful, even one whose members include someone as difficult as an anthropomorphized man-eating shark and or a criminally insane clown.
THE TAKEAWAY: In most modern work-environments it’s become very easy to disconnect from your team. Maybe you prefer to tune out your coworkers with headphones and a podcast or perhaps you shudder at the thought of supposedly idle watercooler talk. Whatever the scenario, you are missing opportunities to connect with your colleagues and build better working relationships. No one is expected to be best friends with the people you work with, however, taking the time to connect with your coworkers will help you create a less stressful and more efficient and fun work environment which is well worth the effort.
CONCLUSION
There’s no question that calling the Suicide Squad productive collaborators is an exercise in absurdity. However, examining instances of what not to do can be just as valuable as looking at examples of good collaboration habits. Nevertheless, this latest film adaptation shows us that even a team of criminals, murderers, sociopaths and a man who “throws polka dots at people.”can learn how to be better collaborators.
What are your takeaways from The Suicide Squad?