Whole Foods

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has” -Margaret Mead (Johnson, n.d.). The growth of organizations has created a space where teams must work together with other teams and with organizational systems to achieve the organizations goals and overcome their challenges. Receiving input from various sources and points of view helps the growth and expansion of any organization. One company that has focused on teamwork within its’ organization is Whole Foods Market.

In 1980 the mold was broken when the traditional supermarkets were introduced to Whole Foods Market. Local business owners from Safer Way Natural Foods, John Mackey and Renee Lawson, and Clasksville Natural Grocery, Craig Weller and Mark Skiles, decided to set themselves apart from the traditional supermarkets and create a market with their special spin. Their goal was to provide a more natural and healthy approach to the way people received their groceries. The Whole Foods Market’s mission was not to be the ordinary supermarket, but to provide good, quality wholesome food. Whole Foods were able to provide people what they wanted and it worked out well for them. Sales boomed and they doubled each year for the first four years. Whole Foods Market has been so successful that it has grown dramatically into a chain of more than 452 stores in the United States, Canada, and the UK. It has more than 85,000 team members and it has been ranked “100 best companies to work for” by FORTUE magazine for 18 consecutive years. (Whole Foods Market: Newsroom, n.d.) This organization is a great representation of how if good people unite together for a cause, anything can happen.

The creation of Whole Foods would not have occurred without major sacrifices and teamwork that was demonstrated by the original creators. As stated before, Mackey and Lawson began their journey together. They had to work with one another and had to ensure that they were making the correct decisions for their company. They gave up what many consider to be necessities to be able to provide for their store. When growing their brand they knew that they wanted to do more and they wanted to provide for the individuals who wanted what they had to offer. The demand was there but they could not meet it. Mackey and Lawson knew they needed assistance and had to accept that without that assistance they could not see their vision come to life. They brought on other team members to ensure that their vision will become a reality and that is when they decided to partner with Weller and Skiles and together they built what is now Whole Foods.

Working in teams is essential to the success of any organization. Team members usually have a strong sense of identification among themselves, they posses specific knowledge, and skills to complement each others performance. They work together on common goals and tasks. They

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