Cracking the Teamwork Code: Finding Humor in Unconventional Team Dynamics

Image credit: courses.lumenlearning.com modified by author

A little humor always helps to decompress the soul and I need a little decompressing…so here we go.

I tend to be the person who somehow gets into the middle of things, even when I had no intention of doing so. Now, I am not talking about gossipy, drama-type of things. Too energy-consuming for me.

I’m talking about taking on things that I feel will help other people. If I think it will make life better or easier for people I’m all in. It is also this thought process that landed me organizing two major events a few weeks apart.

So, I’m a little tired and saucy right now.

My other character “trait”, that often does me in, is my idealism. When I start to pull the team together and we start planning the energy is positive, and everyone is excited for a great event.

And every time, my idealistic self gets a smack of reality.

I can only speak from my experience. I am sure other people have these fully functional A teams. I tend to get the Bad News Bears of teams. They are very nice, have good intentions, one or two that have it together, but it’s not enough to bring it home. It looks more like someone continuously tripping but never actually falling.

After many years of experience, as well as reflection, I think I have finally figured out the breakdown of the team dynamics I repeatedly encounter.

The Go Getter

We all know this person. Annoyingly perky, super organized, never looks defeated, always makes it work, and gets their endless supply of energy from sucking it out of everyone else. Looking for any opportunity to take over the show, whether they know what they are doing or not.

El Presidente’

You can find these folks sitting on their self-made throne. They love to have all the information brought to them and then they’ll make a decision. Life is on their timeline. They will be involved intermittently, and base decisions on the disjointed information they have at that time.

The Poser

They will be present for the team picture, giving two thumbs up with a shiny white grin in their perfectly coordinated…