Teambuilding

I’ve got a very strong opinion about team building activities.

During my working life, I have attended quite a few team building events. Some of them were organized for everyone in the company, some were just for the individual departments. If there was ever a second team building event at the company I was currently working for, I’d come up with some lame excuse (I am part of the bridal party for my sister’s cousin’s ex-boyfriend’s mother’s niece’s wedding) to avoid it.

I would usually attend the first ones just to get a feel of how the company views “team building” (and also because I needed to make a good impression)

I can safely summarize that all these activities did nothing to promote team camaraderie, build rapport or (eek!) bring everyone closer with revelations of deep personal details and emotional connection. Thankfully, in all of these events (so far) no one has ever forced me to perform the trust exercise (you know, the one where you fall backwards and someone catches you)

All I got from these session were very awkward moments, loads of wasted time and very shabby accommodation (food was bad too). There was one time I injured my back, carrying multiple (that’s right, more than two) people, trying to balance on a 4 by 4 piece of paper. I wish I was making this up.

I think companies don’t understand the objective of team building. If they wanted to use up the department budget by creating an outing for every employee to (forcefully) attend, then yes, these companies achieved their objective.

Every activity has one team pitted against the other. How is that building a sense of camaraderie? Sure the people in those teams will bond over their attempt at beating other teams in competition, but what about the relationships between teams? That’s only going to become more negative as the competition gets stiffer.

For example, my team beat out a particularly aggressive, obnoxious, over-confident leader of another team. Sure the victory was so, so sweet. However, until today, this person doesn’t give me any eye contact anymore. Apparently team building should include “may burn bridges as well as build them” in their small print.

Leaders are the worst. They will stand up in front of the whole team and talk about what a good session that was when most of the time they clearly have no idea that new perceptions are being created, most of them negative.

There was this one lady who was a senior in the company. She was known as a backstabbing, rumor mongering snake. During the teambuilding, she made a big show about how she was “burying the hatchet” and “starting new”. There was even this exercise that required her to genuinely get everyone to bury what ever hatchet (that she had flung behind their back) The very next week, she conned the HR manager into getting rid of a younger version of her.

I could not make this up even if I wanted to.

I think we are missing proper team building companies that truly understand the spirit and the objective of these activities. There was even once a facilitator that stressed that we would only get benefits from sessions together if we put in the proper effort. To drive home the point, he said that if we thought we didn’t learn anything, it was all our fault. It was *our* responsibility to ensure that we achieved our goal to build an effective team.

Then why are we paying so much money?

I just don't get team building.

Tear tape, where art thou?

I know, I know. This is so #firstworldproblems. However, two incidents affected me so strongly that I just had to put this down in words.

Tear Tape is that (usually) red line that runs on the inside of packaging. It helps you open the packet with ease, ensuring there’s no fuss or frustration. What frustration you may ask.

Why, frustration like these…

I know of some people who have no faith in how manufacturers seal their items, that their default go-to method is to use their teeth. Even if there’s a pair of scissors at an arm’s length away, this person will *still* rip open a bag of chips like a rabid dog. (I use to be that person, don’t judge)

Personally these tear strips make my life so much easier to the point that I am dependent on them (serves you right for depending on something so stupid). I realized the importance of these during my maternity leave.

Having food around the house was vitally important to me because I was hungry all the time. It was probably due to breastfeeding and burning all those calories worrying about the little human that I was in charge of keeping alive. Since I wasn’t allowed to go outside (curse you, stupid old-fashioned, not scientifically proven beliefs) visitors would bring me food. Apart from the meals that I would get, I would also receive Kit Kat chocolates. I was never a fan of Kit Kat, not because I didn’t like them, it’s just that I’m not a chocolate girl. Ice-cream yes, chocolate not so much (chocolate ice-cream? yuck!)

However, when I was peckish and felt the need to munch on something, I realized I just couldn’t stop at one Kit Kat

I could eat a least 10 without even thinking twice.

This progressed to sneaking away from a snoozing baby to quickly pop two fingers of Kit Kat in my mouth. It was starting to be an addiction.

Now imagine my surprise when one bag of Kit Kat had no tear tape. Not one Kit Kat had a tear tape. I know this, because I ate them all obviously. Oh the horrific effects!

I would try to tear it open, expecting a clean break but instead, I’d just tear of an inconsequential corner. I’d keep going until, completely frustrated, I’d have to get my trusty scissors. This wouldn’t be a problem but having a baby and a pair of scissors nearby is not ideal.

Here’s the second incident that traumatized me and made me a slave to tear tape.

I was on a diet and really wanted a Kit Kat. So I made a dash to the refrigerator (I know, I was desperate) and tore open a two-fingered Kit Kat bar. Guess what? No tear tape. The condensation, clumsy fingers, blunt teeth and overall mission-impossible mode made it the least enjoyable piece of chocolate I’ve ever consumed.

Why yes, I got busted by my husband who happened to wonder what was all the cursing coming from the kitchen. How’s your new year’s resolution going, huh? Huh? HUH?

So, the next time you see a tear tape that helped you achieve that clean, sleek, plastic breakaway, be grateful. Be grateful that you don’t have a picture of yourself hunched over a red rectangular piece of candy, looking like the creature from Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare.

Daiso Avenue K

Hello there and welcome to a Rant post where I highlight experiences that irritate me to my core.

So, the other day I had to go to Daiso to get two very specific items. Since it was so hazy outside, I decided to put my health first (shocker) and head over to Avenue K as it has an underground air-conditioned tunnel that allows me to walk from my workplace to Avenue K. The other alternative is to use the pedestrian bridge that is suspended above the major roads, but that would mean inhaling all that lovely smog.

As I make my (very long) way to Avenue K, I planned my journey. I’d go to the banks to do a little withdrawal and deposit on the way, then grab a bite to eat coming back.

Once I made it to Daiso, I proceeded to the stationary isle where I was greeting with messy items strewn all over the shelves and floor. To my dismay, the item I wanted was placed at ceiling level, out of reach for an already above average height self. I consoled myself that I’d simply get one of the staff to help me out. Finding and marking the file I wanted (it’s a specific zippered, see-through A4 hard cover file) I made my way to the counter where I inteded to look for the other item, an all in one usb card reader, and also to get the staff to get my file.

Upon reaching the counter, I was not greeted by the sole staff that was manning the cash registries. I didn’t mind so much because let’s face it, it’s our culture. I scanned the items on displayed behind the barricade of cash registers like a pickpocket. To my dismay (again), the usb card reader was not to be seen.

I politely asked the cashier if she knew where such thing was placed, but she merely stared at me through vacant eyes and whined that she didn’t know and that I needed to wait for The Captain to get back and ask him instead. This Captain was at the bank. Figuring that I couldn’t possibly stand in between The Captain and his Treasure Cheques, I then asked the cashier if someone could help me get my file from the top most shelf.

Again, she whine that she couldn’t help me because she was the only one there, and that I should wait to get The Captain to help me.

I thought that a peg-legged cartoon character couldn’t possibly make my mood better and wasting my youth at a 5 ringgit store (price without GST) would surely give me a heart attack, I left.

I walked to Daiso Pavillion. Using the pedestrian walkway. In the haze. *Cough *Cough

The Daiso in Pavillion has so much more variety and they don’t treat you like potential criminals by placing itmes out of reach behind the cash register. Also, there are staff always about, so getting help is not a problem. Plus, the file I wanted? Neatly placed at eye-level, color coordinated.

I am never going to The Captain’s Daiso at Avenue K again. It’s just not worth it.