Would you prefer to be on a team of superheroes, or alone?
That, above, was one of the questions posed as part of the “getting to know you” exercise at staff retreat this morning. The retreat is an annual affair, but it is totally a working holiday. This was not a spa day, even considering how hot and humid it was outside at 9am.
It was a team building exercise, and in the tradition of higher-ed, it had a theme: superheroes.
As we all know, this speaks to me, even if spending a full eight hours in close proximity to about 40 people does not. I can wing it for a day, though, and so there I was in a big friendship circle…wait, that’s summer camp. I mean, there I was, in a big…uh…colleague circle…being asked questions like “Would you prefer to be on a team of superheroes, or alone?”
Of course — OF COURSE — there is only one correct answer to this during a staff retreat with all of your bosses present, which is that you love being on a team and hate working alone!!! Totally! Go team!!
What was funny to me was that everyone who answered that question prefaced their answer with, “Well, superheroes who work alone are really broody and depressed…” and I was offended by that, even if it’s…mostly true?
Still, I’d rather work alone. I think I’m a good team player in general, at least I try to be? But I’d rather work alone.
It’s not that I hate people or that I’m broody and depressed (okay, I am, but not all the time). It’s more a matter of being selective with my resources. Because people, in general, require a lot of energy and I don’t know why I don’t have the kind of personality that feeds off of that, but I don’t. It’s draining. I kind of like working on a team from a distance. …If that makes sense.
Culturally, being alone is often viewed with suspicion and pity. Maybe that’s the real reason solitary superheroes are so broody?
[sorry this is short and disjointed, but I’m exhausted. g’night]