Team Player

Team work can either yield stupendously great or disastrous result for me. I am the first to admit that I am a really bad team player. When it comes to compromising, I suck. Badly. I micromanage things. I want things to go my way. I want the end result to look exactly like what I have in mind. I want things to go on my pace. If things go my way, then I'll work extremely hard to make sure I can finish it as soon as possible and as perfectly as I can. When it comes to group work, I'm a nitpicky perfectionist bitch. In another word, I'm a monster.

I have 3 strategies when it comes to tackling group work. 2 strategies are totally extreme, that I'm awed by just realising it. First, I would control and do everything. As in, as soon as we got this assignment, I would take over and start my plans. Then, I would proceed to prepare basically everything by myself, even when the others have their own tasks. Later, to show that 'Hey, I'm cool with this so I'll let you put in about 5% of your work in our final presentation! How cool was that?!!!', I'll add in some of my team mates work. That's compromise in Harley's world, baby.

Secondly, I would be diffident, quiet and passive and let the big dog take it. When I feel intimidated by someone who has a stronger voice, or I hate that 'self-appointed leader' or the group or the assignment, or I just plain fuck-it-I-seriously-don't-care-one-way-or-another, I let everyone else take over. Let them do all the decisions and let them do all the work. Basically, I become the yes-girl. I agree with anything and I would do my task (if I'm assigned with something, which is usually the case with team assignments) minimally satisfactorily. I'll put in enough effort to pass muster. Hey, at least I'm doing something right? It's better than nothing hohoho.

Lastly, which I think is the best strategy but rarely employed by dear ole moi, is the I'm-doing-all-I-can approach. I'll let another person be the leader (which I hate so much, the micromanager that I am) and force myself to be satisfied with my task which is given. I would do my very best researching and presenting and help with all I can so that all of us will get the best result or win something. This is a role that I take so rarely, I don't even remember this particular strategy. However, I'd say this is the best compromise that I could make.

Being human, that I am, I am full of flaws and makes many mistakes. Being a good team player is never in my dictionary. With my strong micromanaging personality, it's really hard for me to be a good sport and share. I want my opinions to be heard and taken seriously. Worse, I want them to be implemented totally. So, I'd say I should get a D (or an F, which ever rocks your boat) in team work like assignments, presentations or discussions. It's fully justified, even if I'd hate my marker (should one mark me a D or F) for an eternity.

P/S: Yes, I still use an old-school wired mouse. And yes, it's pink.