What do you think of the whole "team" concept?

brianlux

Although the "team" concept I'm talking about seems to have started with "Team Trump", it seems to have spread into other facets of life.  I got to thinking about this yesterday when I saw a sign on the window of a tax preparation office that said something like, "Join Team Joe Blow's Tax Service for the ultimate in tax service" (or something like that).   So what is your impression of this whole Team [Whatever] concept?

PJ_Soul

Other. In this game, there is always room for "other".

In the context you used it - as a marketing kind of thing, to make customers feel that there is a "whole team!" working for their benefit - I'm fine with it. When I start to hate it is when I am personally expected to be a part of a "team". I don't particularly like working in a team in general - I'm an independent worker. But even more importantly, in this internal rather than external context, it's just a bunch of corporate lingo bullshit, and I have a very strong aversion to that kind of thing. They're never actually teams if you consider what that word really means. Teams work together for a common goal. But in reality, such work environments are defined by each employee feeling competitive with every other "team member" in a battle to win promotion or kudos. Many aren't shy about throwing other "team members" under the bus if they think it will make them look better to the boss. That is NOT a team. I HATE all that corporate bullshit/politics. It's why I'm relatively poor. I refuse to play that game.

oftenreading

Other. In this game, there is always room for "other".

brianlux said:

Although the "team" concept I'm talking about seems to have started with "Team Trump", 

I like that you're giving Halifax credit

Jason P

There is no "I" in team but there is one in brain.  I see your game ...

brianlux

I mostly don't like it. I understand the desire to be a team player but I also think it can be devisive.

I'm half way between "mostly don't like it" and "hate it" but went with mostly don't like because hate is a strong word.  For me, this is just another trendy way to get people to line up and not think for themselves.  Teamwork is great, especially when it involves cooperating.  But my feeling is this whole new "team" think has little to do with cooperation and a lot to do with blind following.  Perhaps I'm just too much of an iconoclast, but I'd rather be an independent thinker than a bumper sticker reader.

brianlux

I mostly don't like it. I understand the desire to be a team player but I also think it can be devisive.

oftenreading said:

brianlux said:

Although the "team" concept I'm talking about seems to have started with "Team Trump", 

I like that you're giving Halifax credit

I'll have to ask to make sure, but my impression is that H2M used the term "Team Trump" in a derogatory sense.  I'm fairly certain it was Trump himself that came up with that goofy expression.  And seeing other people and especially corporations adopting it- that's all the more reason I'm not a fan.

brianlux

I mostly don't like it. I understand the desire to be a team player but I also think it can be devisive.

Jason P said:

There is no "I" in team but there is one in brain.  I see your game ...

what dreams

I hate it. The whole concept is stupid and it pits people, one against the other.

I don't mind using the word hate in this context. TEAM: Together Everyone Annoys Me
Yes, it is blind following. It's especially insipid in the K-12 public education so-called reform movement. "Collaborative Learning Teams" have sucked every last bit of creativity and innovation out of teaching. Teachers can't do anything unless their whole team agrees, which takes endless discussion/infighting over every single decision. We sit in these awful team meetings every week, starting with a touchy-feely "ice-breaker" and then a review of our "group norms" before we debate such stupid things like "should we require students to take notes while they read the poem on the test?" Then we compare our "common assessment data," otherwise known as grades on the same test, to see if X teacher can help Y teacher improve. Meanwhile, the principal's favorite suck-up teacher consistently has the lowest scoring students on every test but she gets the most say in every decision we make because she lies about everything she does.
I hate it. I just hate it.

brianlux

I mostly don't like it. I understand the desire to be a team player but I also think it can be devisive.

what dreams said:

I don't mind using the word hate in this context. TEAM: Together Everyone Annoys Me
Yes, it is blind following. It's especially insipid in the K-12 public education so-called reform movement. "Collaborative Learning Teams" have sucked every last bit of creativity and innovation out of teaching. Teachers can't do anything unless their whole team agrees, which takes endless discussion/infighting over every single decision. We sit in these awful team meetings every week, starting with a touchy-feely "ice-breaker" and then a review of our "group norms" before we debate such stupid things like "should we require students to take notes while they read the poem on the test?" Then we compare our "common assessment data," otherwise known as grades on the same test, to see if X teacher can help Y teacher improve. Meanwhile, the principal's favorite suck-up teacher consistently has the lowest scoring students on every test but she gets the most say in every decision we make because she lies about everything she does.
I hate it. I just hate it.

Oh man, I can see why you would!

Halifax2TheMax

I prefer an “Army of One.”