As I write my articles I find myself correcting my writing based upon the counseling session I had with a manager many years ago. He did not like it when I referred to my direct reports as “My Team.” He wanted me to say “The Team”. I didn’t like saying that. Even as I write today, I find myself changing “my” to “the” and back again.
So the question I’ve struggled with is – which is correct to say – “My Team” OR “The Team?”
I understand my manager’s reasoning for saying “The Team.” To him, “My Team” sounds like I own them. It sounds like I am a dictator. In order to convey teamwork, he liked “The Team.”
His analogy was that we were a baseball team with each person having their position to play. He believed that if each person did their job we functioned well as a team. If one person messed up, then somehow “The Team” protected them.
I didn’t see it that way. I thought the baseball concept left “My Team” members vulnerable. It is too easy to point fingers at the pitcher, or first baseman and blame him/her for a bad play.
To me, saying “The Team” shows a disconnection between myself and the people I supervise. What was important to me was to demonstrate that I am their leader, I am out in front, I take responsibility for them and I stand up for them. If anyone criticized anyone in the department they had to come through me.
My analogy was that I would not talk about my daughters, mother, father, brother, sister, nieces and nephews by saying “The Family.” I always say “My Family.”
I am part of them!
I suspect our different perceptions was a gender issue. He was concerned that each player/team member had autonomy over their position. He wanted us to be equalitarian. I was more concerned about the connections between all of the team members and how the interaction between the team member’s impacted the entire department’s performance.
He saw individuals. I saw one entity.
We went back and forth on this issue for many months but I now consider the issue settled. I decided that since this is “My Blog”, then I’m gonna say “My Team.”
Empowered women are not dictators and can say “My Team.”
I want to hear your thoughts and opinions so leave a comment!!
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Dot,
I think “The Team” is better than “My team” because (1) it gives more attention to the Team instead of the author and I’m told the author doesn’t want to bring attention to themselves, and (2) if your writing in third person everything should be in third person.
I’ve given a lot of thought to the third person thing because I am in the mist of changing all my pronouns in my website http://www.judgesfairfaxcounty.com to third person.
Tony
I took a writing course many years ago and we were taught to use personal pronouns as much as possible and not to write in third person was the rule. For me writing in the third person is cumbersome. As soon as I start using personal pronouns the words flow.
I wonder if this is really just a gender issue. Women like connecting themselves to things, people, events etc. What I try to convey when I say “my team” is that I won’t stand aside and let the bus run over my direct reports or throw them under the bus!t. Instead I will push them out of the way and let it hit me instead.
I’m glad you posted something about this. I have been meaning to reply to the response that was left on the previous post. “THE TEAM” implies a disconnect, point blank. I understand the desire to use the the term “MY TEAM”. It shows a sence of loyalty and responsibility toward a group. I find myself using that term regardless if I am in a leadership role or not. When I think of team, I think of football. When the Ravens won the superbowl, Ray Lewis didn’t mention “THE TEAM”, it was “OUR TEAM” . When my son is blocking for the quarterback, he says he’s blocking “HIS” quarterback. Maybe “OUR” team may be be a more digestable pronoun for some. I read your posts for the insight not to critique proper grammer. Should I have the urge to become an english major, I would not direct my efforts to reading a blog about construction. I believe the saying, “Can’t see the trees for the woods” would be an appropriate analogy in this situation.
Thank you Dot for all of your insight. I enjoy your posts very much. Keep up the good work.
Devon Ligon