

	TEAM BUILDING INFORMATION

Dealing with People that Drive You Crazy!

We all know someone who just drives us batty. Perhaps theperson is too noisy, too borish, or too flashy. Perhaps theperson is too gossipy, critical, or lazy. There are hundreds ofreasons why we may not relate well to a person.

In my case, the person was both loud and talkative. He thoughthe was funny; I thought he was insensitive. So I decided to justignore him... pretend he didn't exist. That strategy worked wellfor a few months until a close friend accused me of being rude.

"Rude?" I scoffed. "I don't think so."

"Ignoring someone is rude," Pat reminded me. "Acting likesomeone doesn't exist is one of the worst ways you can treatsomeone. You always told me that you hated feeling invisibleyet that is EXACTLY how you treat Earl."

"But he just drives me crazy!" I said trying to defend myself."If I talk to him I'm just going to say something mean androtten. Isn't that worse?"

"At least you'd be acknowledging that he's human," shepersisted.

"Barely!" I said.

I turned away in a red-faced huff. Pat obviously didn'tunderstand! Still her words lingered in my mind. No matter howI tried to justify my behavior, I couldn't convince myself thatshe was wrong.

I had to change my behavior.

I started with very small attempts at conversation. First Ioffered a basic greeting, "Hi Earl."

Then I asked a question and listened to the response. Before Iknew it, we were having real conversations, laughing together,and dare I admit, enjoying our new friendship.

Was it difficult to start talking with Earl? At first, mostdefinitely yes. My first challenge, of course, was to climbdown off my high horse without falling on my face!

But I'm glad that I dropped the mask of indifference. Earl hasbecome a good friend. He can make me laugh at myself and theworld because he doesn't take life too seriously. Yes, Earl canstill be loud. He definitely talks too much; and don't shareyour secrets with him.

He still drives me batty at times, but for the most part, Ijust laugh and enjoy our friendship. It was only afterbecoming his friend that I realized how exhausting it was toignore him. Now my energy is spent on other things... things,like Earl, that matter.

=================================================================
Copyright 2005. Donna Doyon, Activities Coordinator for Your Virtual Retreat is the author of GLOW: Renew Your Spirit & Release Your Inner Beauty. She offers information, inspiration and encouragement to people who want to say goodbye to self defeating attitudes and behaviors and hello to greater success, healthier relationships and more joyful living. Get inspired at her website: http://www.donnadoyon.com.

MORE RESOURCES:
»
»
»
»

RELATED ARTICLES

Effective Team Building Part 1 - Another Brick in the Wall!
The first in a series of articles giving a slightly different viewpoint on effective team building, condensed from an original seminar presented by the author, John Roberts. John is a Freelance Training Consultant and director of JayrConsulting Ltd.

Team Development in the Little Leagues
A grassy field, two nets, a soccer ball and some playful youth is the ideal setting for a little league soccer game. You may have recalled yourself of a time when you observed these little league events.

Building Your Dream Marketing Team
The Fantasy: Your marketing budget is packed to the brim with money to help build your dream marketing team. You hire nothing short of the best and life is good.

Solitude Vs Teamwork!
Irrespective of any given situation, "Team Work Works!" It is not that students are incapable of studying in solitude, it is just that when they study in collaboration the synergy drives the students, one step further. During the learning period people tend to be skeptical and filled with fraught of underachieving, so they stick with the habit of solitary learning.

Station Teams: Assembly Required
Too often teams aren't assembled. They just happen.

Nine Ways to Contribute to Project Team Success
The world of work has changed. It used to be that most of us worked as a part of a process, whether on an assembly line, managing interactions with Customers, or any one of a thousand other processes.

Building Successful Work Relationships--Playing In The Same Sandbox
Remember playing in your childhood sandbox? If you enjoyed being outside for most of the day, you could play in the sandbox for hours on end-shaping and pouring the sand or mixing it with a little water to form a castle or hill. Children enjoy playing with sand or dirt and learn at an early age how to make the most of this play time activity.

The Team Process
We live in very progressive times, one only has to look around at the changes on the internet each day to see that this is true.We see changes also happening within the world around us as well, sometimes for the better sometimes not.

Aligning Corporate Teams
Picture yourself entering a corporate meeting, team meeting, or business meeting. There you are sitting in the room, while someone in the "expert" or "boss" chair speaks to you or at you.

How to Align Your Team through Change
Eight Principles for Purposeful AlignmentEffective teamwork requires individual members of the team to be connected by, and aligned to a common purpose, values and sense of identity. Sometimes individuals can drift away from the team as a result of the mental limitations they create about their work and role.

Aligning Teams with Organizational Goals
Teams don't have to be aligned with the goals of the organization. Teams can work on what they believe to be the right things.

Brainstorm
Ever lost for ideas while working in a group? One of the most often-used technique for generating many ideas is Brainstorming. Alex Osborn, a partner in an advertising agency, developed brainstorming techniques years ago in 1941 to help his employees to come up with many, many ideas for their advertising business.

Feedback - Confirming the Good News
The feedback I'm talking about here isn't some sort offormalised appraisal that takes place with your team membersevery month, or every six months or once a year. Thisfeedback happens continually and it happens when you see orhear something you want to give feedback on.

What Every Manager, Parent, and Teacher Should Know About How to Unify Employees, Families, & Youth
Project Head Start has been successful not only for the youthful students, but for the teachers, supporting staff, and families as well. My first job while still in college was as a Teacher's Assistant during the summer of 1968.

Teamwork in the Workplace: A Definition
A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals who care deeply about each other. They are fiercely committed to their mission, and are highly motivated to combing their energy and expertise to achieve a common objective.

12 Tips and Reminders for Team Members To Enjoy Their Team Experiences More
12 Tips and Reminders for Team Members To Enjoy Their Team Experiences More Warning: The ideas that follow work. Don't be fooled by their simplicity.

Collaboration Software - Building an Office Without Walls
The rise of the internet has given businesses a new way to think and function on both the individual level and as a whole. Today if you are in a business that doesn't have or use the internet, then you are giving up valuable advertising and productivity.

Team Communication Critical To Success
I'm often asked, "Why is my team always fighting fires instead of preparing for changes?" Finding the answer may take some digging. Here are a few possibilities.

Trust: A Critical Factor to Your Teams Success
True or false? Teams that practice good teamwork contribute to an organization's success.Not only "true" but blatantly true.

Motivation - The Benefits of Spending Time with Your Team
Benefit 1 - You get to understand them betterAlmost everyone wants to know that their manager isgenuinely and positively interested in them. They may notalways give that impression by their demeanour but trust me- they want to know you care; they want acceptance from you.