Carlos Valdes-Dapena Thinks We’re Doing Teamwork Wrong

Carlos Valdes-Dapena discusses what led to writing "Lessons From Mars", and how Mars, Inc. allowed him to create a framework for team collaboration that went viral within Mars. Carlos has formed his own company, Corporate Collaboration Resources, and shares this framework in his new book and to clients around the world.

Known for challenging the conventional wisdom of corporate team-building, Carlos Valdes-Dapena empowers teams to drive higher value to their organizations through High Performance Collaboration. Throughout his 17 year tenure at Mars, Inc., he developed his expertise in collaboration and the keys to group effectiveness through extensive research working directly with brands like M&M’s, Snickers, Uncle Ben’s Rice, and Wrigley’s Gum.

Understanding the vital role collaboration plays in today’s remote and fast-moving workforce, Carlos focuses on providing a framework for organizations to develop authentic collaboration. Where traditional team building offers a quick fix, or distraction, from a team's issues, Carlos helps teams using techniques that were developed for businesses and are proven to translate to the corporate environment.

Contrary to traditional approaches to team-building (which organizations spend tens of millions of dollars every year with little measurable impact), Carlos’ research at the highest organizational levels points to individual motivation as the key to collaboration effectiveness. This shift empowers teams to create a culture of collaboration and is the basis for Carlos’ award-winning Framework for High Performance Collaboration.

Currently, he is Managing Principal and founder of Corporate Collaboration Resources, LLC, an organization and group effectiveness consulting firm. He has presented and offered workshops at numerous conferences including the North American Organization Development Network, The Conference Board and the Organization Design Forum.