Team-Player
Posted: Fri 17 June, 2005 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Thoughts, Work-related |2 Comments »During my time with CrapCo, and particularly on my last day (cue waving flags etc.) I’ve been doing a bit of thinking about how I work etc. And I must confess, I’m drawn to one pretty much inescapable conclusion. I really don’t get on well with other people in general, and even less so when it comes to work.
In short, I’m just not a team player. I never was, and I doubt I ever truly will be. I’m used to being self-employed, or at least self-reliant. If something goes wrong, it’s my problem, and I’ve got to fix it. I don’t want to have to rely on someone else to come in and do their bit before I can get on with my work. I guess I’m pretty intolerant of others, particularly when they can’t do their job in the first place. (Step forward, Twunty Manager™)
Even more to the point, I just don’t have a lot of time for the people I work with. I don’t like them in work, and I don’t want to socialise with them outside work. After all, I don’t like ’em from 9-5, so what’s going to improve that come 6,7, or 8pm?
I like being self-reliant, knowing that if something screws up, it’s my fault. I don’t like working in blame cultures where everyone tries to avoid responsibility for anything. I’ve never yet worked in a company that didn’t have that culture, so I can’t compare it properly – but I know it’s not for me. If something’s my fault then I’ll raise my hand and say “Yup, that was me”. Simple. But the majority of people don’t seem to want to do that, and it annoys me.
Will I stay in touch with anyone from CrapCo? No, the odds are that I won’t. I haven’t “bonded” with anyone in the six months I’ve been here, and I suspect that I’ll just move on to the new place, and not even bother with the CrapCo ones at all.
We’ll see, but that’s my thoughts on it at the moment.
Given that the notion of being a ‘team player’ usually involves repressing your opinions and not stepping out of line by appearing to be overly capable at your job, and comes with the further expectation of regular cap-doffing to self-important morons, then not being one is the way to stay.
Though, taking my current situation as an example, it is actually possible for a perfectionist with control-freak tendencies and high expectations of the people around him to work well within a team of people that he really wouldn’t chose to socialise with. Hmmm . . . Ok. I admit that’s a very bad example. Oh well.
Congratulations on the last day. And happy flag waving.
Disagree. I suffer no fools and this very “trait” has landed me a nice new role as “I’m not afraid to speak my mind”….
I was gonna say more but I won’t. Instead I’ll ask the question: What next?