Team as Family

I have seen people at work and social media claiming about their company or department or team that they are like a family.

Why?

Why do you have to see your team as your family?

Why can't team be team and family be family? Why should you make team feel like a family at work?

On one side, quite a lot of people hate their spouse, don't get along well with siblings, hate their in-laws to point they would kill them if they had a chance, and people are not even in talking terms with their own parents. When such people use the phrase we are like a family, what the hell does it mean?

Team is a group of people who have come together for a purpose, for a cause, for a mission, who have a common goal, who back up each other, who think I shouldn't let the team down, who think I will do my best to ensure that the team achieves the team goal, I will support my team members to ensure they can do their best. I will let go of my own interests to ensure team's interest is given focus. Success or failure is shared with the team. How many families have that in them?

So, the point is, you could create a team with your colleagues, with your friends, even with your family members, your neighbors and even your dog. But family is not a team. And team is not a family. I think it's best we don't create false notions.