Have you created a "they" are the problem mentality?

In Tom Kelley’s book, “The Art of Innovation,” he writes,

ABOLISH “THEY”

One of the things that struck me the most about my first days at IDEO–other than the fact that I had no desk or office–was that try as I might, I couldn’t find a “they.” At my old job as a consultant at for a large international firm, there was always a spoken and unspoken “they.” If the coffeemaker was broken, “they” should fix it. If you were entangled in bureaucracy, “they” were the problem. “They” do not innovate. “They” leave less elbowroom for you and other individuals to solve problems from the ground up.

Technology has in some ways exacerbated this problem. I’m confounded at how many companies bring “they” in reach of your every keystroke. I think those large corporations who snoop on their workers’ e-mail are nuts–and not just for ethical reasons. If you practice monitoring or surveillance, your employees may end up being less productive and certainly less creative. But “they” companies can’t help themselves. They’re control freaks–even when they imagine they’re loosening they’re grip.

So who is the “they” in your team? Are you building trust or building a spirit of US VS. THEM?

I will admit it. I have always had an ego problem. Sometimes my head is too big to fit through the door. It has made me believe that I live in a Me Vs. Them world and workplace. I’m in a daily battle to believe and rely on my teams knowing we’re all in this together.

Kelley goes on to quote famous Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz:

“The team changes every year, but each team member’s three implicit questions for him remain the same: Do you care about me? Can I trust you? Are you committed to the success of the team?

Trust is essential. I have to know that you care about me, that you’ve got my back, and that you’re in it for the success of the team and not your own personal gain. When all team members share this spirit of trust, they’ll move faster and more effectively towards the team’s goals.

So, have you identified the “They” in your organization? How are you working to make “they” all about “us?”