We are more comfortable working as solo operators. It's not just that Aspies are iconoclasts. We tend to value things like honesty, direct speech, and literal explanations that don't always play well in group sessions.
Most teams begin as pseudo-teams, a term I credit to M. Scott Peck from his book A Different Drum. I've written a more detailed explanation on my other blog if you care to drill down.
Aspergians don't do so well on pseudoteams because we fiercely resist the game-playing and social deception that make pseudo-teams "work."
Here's a summary image to explain the pseudoteam. If you have Asperger's, you might be just the person a pseudoteam needs to speak the truth and provoke the crisis that helps your group become a true team. Play on!
This is so true. Even back at school I remember an incident where our whole class felt a teacher had disciplined a student unfairly. It fell to me to, "speak the truth and provoke the crisis" that brought a positive resolution and I have found myself in that role several times through my adult life.
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ReplyDeleteYes, that explains my life! I've always looked at it as "The Emperor has no clothes" syndrome. Although, I can't honestly say that the resolution brought about was always positive (but then, positive is not always possible when dealing with reality).
So glad I came across your blog!
Very true. I agree. Still I try to move from provoking the crisis to deliberate manipulation :). Its better for my mental health, if I'm not dumpt on all the time. One on one's with team members exploring the team situation and reviewing how to act helps in building coalitions for change. It requires throughtfullness, time and strategy - no seat of the pants "old boy charm" from me. But honesty loyalty and commitment go a long way in building reciprocal relationships. Also teams tend to have gradations and shift back and forth between playing at being a team and really doing it. Histories of great teams have one common element - they all fall apart at some point. Preferably because success seeks replications leading to more teams. Some pseudo some real.
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