Miss Information is annoyed by group work
Last semester, Miss Information was involved in a group project. The group broke up the work into 3 equitable sections, communicated entirely via e-mail and left each other the hell alone. Miss Information barely recognized her fellow group members on the day of the presentation but it went brilliantly. The professor said it was clear that they had a great rapport and enjoyed each other's company. Fooled her!Miss Information assumed all groups would be like this. Unfortunately she was wrong. She is now working on a presentation with a couple of other people. They broke the work up into 3 equitable sections...that's where the similarity ends. Miss Information e-mailed them an outline of what she was doing and hoped they'd leave her alone. No such luck. They want to meet, plan, and (god help us) rehearse. The presentation is 30 minutes. Miss Information estimates that they've spent 7 hours planning it. This is not the only assignment Miss Information has due next week, you know. She keeps trying to explain that this is not that big a deal. The actual assignment isn't onerous. Miss Information finished her part--searches, screen captures, Powerpoint 2 weeks ago. Or so she thought.
At this week's endless meeting one of the group members, suggested a change. Could Miss Information possibly conduct different searches with entirely different parameters? Oh, and redo all the Powerpoint too? Yes....Miss Information can and will run a whole bunch of different searches to support a presentation that is now going in completely the wrong direction. Fine, whatever.
So, although Miss Information agreed to the totally unnecessary changes, she did so in such a grumpy way she thought that they'd be scared of her. Sadly, no. They want to exchange cell phone numbers, and keep in touch. They also want a copy of Miss Information's script--which doesn't exist as she was going to wing it on the day of the presentation.
You know...Miss Information is so glad she came back to school. She's learning so much. Here's what she's learned from this experience:
Miss Information does not play well with others.
3 Comments:
Playing well with others is for Kindergarten. Kindergarten is for Kindergarteners. Library school group projects suck.
I did have a slacker in one of my grad school group projects apologize to me about his lack of work. Ten years after we graduated when I interviewed for a job at his organization.
Ugh! This sounds remarkably like a library committee I am on...you know, the committee I "volunteered" to be on...
I love to wing it! Nearly all ref desk work happens on the wing. It makes me sad that future librarians often seem shy, afraid of talking to groups, and worried about winging it. They might not like this job so much after all.
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