Employees Quote by Virginia Hartman
““As departments, we aren't very respectful of one another. The geologists are the Rock People and Delores and Ginger are the Plant People. Here in Ornithology, we're the Bird People, the ichthyologists are the Fish People, the entomologists are the Bug People, those in Paleo are the Bone People, and Anthro is just Antho, because otherwise we'd have to call them the People People.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Conference on Interdisciplinary Collaboration, 2018
The speaker humorously critiques departmental silos by assigning each a “people” label, highlighting absurdity of over‑categorization.
In simple terms: Departments are labeled as different “people,” mocking how we separate fields.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and bridge unnecessary divisions.
Themes
humor
teamwork
communication
Mood
lighthearted
reflective
Type
humorous
observational
When to use this quote
- team meetings
- academic settings
- corporate workshops
- cross‑functional projects
Key Concepts
taxonomy
interdisciplinary
silo mentality
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we foster genuine interdisciplinary respect?
- What are the risks of labeling groups?
A Different Perspective
The joke may oversimplify complex collaborations.
