Here we are... back from hell into the routine of a never-changing story, battered and bruised, but all the same in the end.
I went to my "Integration Course", participated, got my share of the beat, won the first medal of my life (the first ever!) and returned knowing what I have always known: no matter how traumatic or joyful group experiences may be, nobody changes because of them.
It is true that some of us, the most observant, might have discovered some things about our co-workers we didn't realize before, but it is also true that, in the first meeting to evaluate the results, the boss's attitude has not changed a bit. He still believes we take 70% of his profits home, while we are working under an illegal contract where legal and mandatory fringe benefits are unknown. I'm still working with people who go as green as leprechauns when they see me obtaining something I worked hard for, and we still sharpen the knifes when the chance to criticize a parter arises.
Just one example:
At lunch time, in the common room)
A: Who won more tokens for the medal?
Yours truly: Me.
A: (to her team members): See? I told ya! If we had put ours together, we could've won that medal!
Yours truly: (with a scornful and ironic look): Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry you couldn't make it. It was as easy as raising your hand and participate!
Did we learn anything? No. Will we stop acting like ravenous wolves towards each other? Nope. The only good thing I brought with me (aside from the medal) was this answer:
Instructor: Please reflect upon this question: What are you exactly doing at your company?
Yours truly (to herself, with a big smile on her face): Looking for another job!
3 comments:
You have my sympathies, Ususal Stuff I hate these touchy-feely-new-age group activities. It's kinda funny because I can't imagine (my stereotype of) a Mexican having anything to do with this (much too "sissy" for a Mexican!). I guess this crap has spread the world over...
If they had put all theirs together, how would they share the medal?
kyklops: indeed it is spreading like the plague. A course on proactive and interactive behavior would've been more useful.
jingo: they would've appointed a candidate to receive the medal and hung it on the manager's monitor, like trophies in schools. Low, ain't it?
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