On Teams
Why I Don't Believe in Teams
(and FemmeTech doesn't have them)

Team:
A group organized to work together.

Partnership:
A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal.


I don’t believe in “teams,” I believe in “partners.” The concept of “teams” is overused and over hyped to the point where it no longer has any real meaning. Or, even worse, it has a negative meaning for many of us.

At FemmeTech, we don’t create teams, we create partnerships. In a partnership, each party has something to contribute, and something to gain. Each member of our partnership is expected to voice their opinion, share their knowledge, and state their concerns. In return, they receive a respectful reception of their ideas, acknowledgement of their expertise, and consideration of their perceptions.

Individuality, strength of character, and diversity of opinion are highly prized in our partnerships, and are actively encouraged. We recognize that each person brings a specific set of character traits, strengths, expertise, and experience to the workplace, and we strive to maximize the contribution each person can make by tailoring their role to their strengths, while allowing and encouraging growth. In return, we expect that each person will constantly strive to grow, both professionally and personally, through their association with FemmeTech.

We expect every person to give their best, and to always do work that they can be personally proud of. Because a true partnership requires that the parties be “equally yoked,” FemmeTech only hires high-performers who take intense personal pride in the work they do. We produce results for our all our partners, and we have an amazing time while doing it.

So, if you ever catch me using the word “team”, you can be sure that I really mean "partner."

I found the following on the Internet, and I regret that I cannot attribute it to its author, but I wanted to share it with you:

"Something that I've observed is that there is a BIG difference between how a military team operates in a combat (genuine life-and-death) situation and an environment more closely resembling the business world. I had a Marine officer tell me once, 'You know, I can order my troops to die for their country and be confident that they would fight valiantly to the end, but I can't seem to order them to do software process improvement!' In true combat environments, individuals are trained, treated, and led differently than in non-combat environments. The military has much of the same difficulty motivating, managing, and leading in non-combat situations, as does the business world. Truly having your life (and those of your teammates) on the line is MUCH different than having your salary, prestige, ego, or "the success of our company 'in jeopardy.'"


Welcome to the FemmeTech partnership,
Erica Wieland
President, FemmeTech Inc.
Copyright © 2001 FemmeTech, Inc.