"No, I did!"
"Me!"
"No, me!"
I just got back from a three day school camp with my youngest son. We went to new and interesting places each day, and everywhere we went, walking or driving, the adults were constantly serenaded by the same chorus when we arrived at each destination.
"I got here first!"
Somehow, it seemed vitally important to be the first one to arrive wherever we went, or at least it was if you were under 10 years old.
The playground is a useful place to hone skills and promote competition, but it is equally important to learn to work and compete together as a team.
Often, when children compete in teams, you will have individuals claiming they were the fastest in the team, and therefore they are the reason the team won - so really "they" won and the rest of the team's efforts did not matter.
Unfortunately, some people never outgrow this. They are in constant competition with everyone else, even though the others may not even know there is a race going on. They may not say it out loud, but they likely feel a small satisfaction in reaching the traffic light first, so they can be ready to launch off again - first - as soon as it turns green.
Even as adults, some people within teams will promote their personal contributions to the detriment of the team - just like back on the playground, they believe that they (and themselves alone) are the real reason the team succeeded.
It is true that one person can make a difference.
It is also true that one person can help to bring a team together - or destroy it.
Fortunately, most people do outgrow these playground behaviors, and become great team players. There is hope!
Listen to the podcast, or read the full article on Gazza's Corner blog.
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