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I want to say "our team takes pride in the quality of our output," but I don't want the audience or my teammates to get the sense that we are arrogant, flawless, or ungracious. How else could I communicate this?

I'm looking for a phrase that conveys the positive notions of "take pride" such as confidence, professionalism, dedication, etc., but without the negative connotations of arrogance, unearned superiority, etc.

The suggestion of "is committed" in the accepted answer is what I was looking for.

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    "Take pride" does not usually carry an implication of arrogance. Perhaps another way to say this would be "We are proud of the work we do". Omit "quality" and focus on the results rather than an assessment of it.
    – dubious
    Commented Aug 17, 2022 at 12:36
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    @dubious: I understand that many don't always hear the negative connotation, but I work in an industry where people often see pride as carrying a lack of humility. I want to convey "pride without a lack of humility" in one word or pithy phrase.
    – Billy
    Commented Aug 17, 2022 at 12:43
  • Would "we are confident in the quality our results" or "we are happy with our results" convey the sense of achievement you are after?
    – dubious
    Commented Aug 17, 2022 at 12:55
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    It's challenging because a lot of synonyms could be seen as prideful. It's really impossible to take pleasure in your achievements without a certain degree of pride. Maybe you want to rethink: something like "we work hard to produce high quality output" doesn't have the same connotations.
    – Stuart F
    Commented Aug 17, 2022 at 23:05
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    'Pride' in itself often carries a lack of humility. "Taking pride" is a different thing, and never indicates any lack of humility. In 60 years of listening, I've never once heard "taking pride" used to mean anything but "taking due or deserved pride."
    – Robbie Goodwin
    Commented Sep 1, 2022 at 22:27

1 Answer 1

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I suggest that the team identifies with the quality of its output.

Longman
identify with: phrasal verb
1 identify with somebody/something to feel sympathy with someone or be able to share their feelings
Humans can easily identify with the emotional expressions of chimpanzees.
He identified with our distress.
2 identify somebody with something to think that someone is very closely related to or involved with something such as a political group
She has always been identified with the radical left.
3 identify something with somebody/something to think that something is the same as, or closely related to, something else
the attempt to identify crime with poverty and social problems

The Longman examples show how the subject associates themselves - or is associated - with the object. This is appropriate for your team, which associates itself closely with quality. There is no suggestion of hubris or arrogance in this usage, which merely asserts an association without any judgmental overtones.

If you need to communicate the commitment to quality and to focus on the team's actions while not boasting, and having the humility to admit that they may be flawed, you might also write:

our team strives for quality of our output

or

our team aspires to quality in our output

Merriam Webster
strive, intransitive verb
to devote serious effort or energy : Endeavour
strive to finish a project

Cambridge
aspire, intransitive verb
to want something very much or hope to achieve something or be successful

And the last thought is that the team is committed to the quality of its output

Cambridge
commit
To promise or give your loyalty, time, or money to a particular principle, person, or plan of action:

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  • Would the downvoter explain to the PO why they downvoted? Otherwise we learn nothing.
    – Anton
    Commented Aug 18, 2022 at 17:49
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    I didn't DV, but I don't see how the OP would use this. Can you give the example sentence? "We identify with high quality" doesn't sound right.
    – Barmar
    Commented Aug 18, 2022 at 22:07
  • @Barmar I agree with you to some extent. Perhaps “we identify ourselves with high quality” might be a better way of using it. If downvoters were as helpful as you we might all benefit. As it is, all that such silent negative behaviour does is discourage folk from even essaying answers.
    – Anton
    Commented Aug 18, 2022 at 22:24
  • This was the best word I could come up with as well. I want to convey that a hunger and striving for excellent quality of output is a core attribute among the team members. I'm hesitant, though, to call this an identifying attribute (but maybe that's just me being wish-washy).
    – Billy
    Commented Aug 19, 2022 at 13:22
  • @Anton: Your most recent edit with the suggestion of "is committed" is exactly what I needed! Thank you!
    – Billy
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 17:26

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