Teamwork

Today, I attended a seminar to develop teamwork within my coworkers. I actually enjoy these professional development opportunities. I enjoy the fluffy stuff.

These seminars always involve touching. Has anyone else ever noticed that? I know they want me "out of my comfort zone" but there are ways to do that without having to hang on to the pocket of the Director of Develop's pants. Now, I don't really like to touch [coworkers]. I like my colleagues, but I have personal space issues at work. I need at least 24" between me and my coworkers.

So, today when the instructor asked me and 5 other colleagues to all stand on a beach towel and figure out how to turn it over without stepping off the towel, I immediately developed an ulcer. For those mathematically and spatially challenged, 6 grown adults all squeezed onto a towel measuring 24"x48" and maneuvered, "Twister style," to turn the towel over without stepping off the towel.

This exercise is bad enough but complicated by two additional facts made this the most uncomfortable situation I have been in since one of my students kissed my arm when I was a 7th grade teacher in Tampa.

First, it was advised that we remove our shoes to make us more nimble on the towel. Ladies, you'll understand this. Guys, you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. I wore ballet slippers to this seminar...without socks. I dumped baby powder in the shoes before putting them on this morning as wearing ballet slippers without socks or powder is disgusting! Anyway, removing my shoes would reveal my white, powder coated feet, which is weird. I was the only one with shoes on. My team lost 4 consecutive times. I blame the shoes.

Secondly, we had to hold on to each other to prevent falling off the towel. I held on the right front pocket of a colleague's pants while another person (thankfully female) used my right breast as a handle. In her defense, I would have been confused too. It doesn't feel like one anymore:)

My team was particularly bad this exercise. We were in last place EVERY time. And we were all relatively smart, sort of. I don't know what went wrong. I still think we should blame the shoes.

Day 2 continues tomorrow. I will be wearing socks.