Where does the use of "family" in the workplace fit in? One of my favorite corporate-Americanisms.
This is where I'd add in the Language of Humanity (or Authenticity...take your pick).
In the case of calling our corporate co-workers "family", the Language of Humanity serves as a counterweight to the other languages and expressions - to reduce complexity (or at least create a veil of simplicity), make everything feel more real, until we ask Perplexity to define what Language of Humanity means to us (using discretion here and not searching.... ha!)
I'm all for the notion of chosen families, and I know for some that includes colleagues (in fact, I count several current and former colleagues among my closest friends). However, I've found that in a corporate setting, it's often not the employee lowest on the chain who chooses to label their relationship with their peers, and especially their manager, as a family. Rather, it's often chosen FOR you: for example, managers wielding that term while at the same time asking you to work on the weekends, taking you away from your actual family.
I personally prefer to use the framing of "team" -- not so much so I can demonstrate the limits of my ability to come up with sports metaphors (haha) but because a team is about support balanced with challenge and rigor.
Claire, that’s such a great way to look at chosen families, and a good reminder - whether as a manager or not - to be conscious of the identities we “enforce” versus those we allow others to freely opt into or out of. Thanks for the reply!
Great read, Claire.
Where does the use of "family" in the workplace fit in? One of my favorite corporate-Americanisms.
This is where I'd add in the Language of Humanity (or Authenticity...take your pick).
In the case of calling our corporate co-workers "family", the Language of Humanity serves as a counterweight to the other languages and expressions - to reduce complexity (or at least create a veil of simplicity), make everything feel more real, until we ask Perplexity to define what Language of Humanity means to us (using discretion here and not searching.... ha!)
Thanks for reading!
I'm all for the notion of chosen families, and I know for some that includes colleagues (in fact, I count several current and former colleagues among my closest friends). However, I've found that in a corporate setting, it's often not the employee lowest on the chain who chooses to label their relationship with their peers, and especially their manager, as a family. Rather, it's often chosen FOR you: for example, managers wielding that term while at the same time asking you to work on the weekends, taking you away from your actual family.
I personally prefer to use the framing of "team" -- not so much so I can demonstrate the limits of my ability to come up with sports metaphors (haha) but because a team is about support balanced with challenge and rigor.
Claire, that’s such a great way to look at chosen families, and a good reminder - whether as a manager or not - to be conscious of the identities we “enforce” versus those we allow others to freely opt into or out of. Thanks for the reply!