When team building goes bad

[garbon]

When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.

The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.

I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the  thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.

'Murica.

I have no idea what any of this is about.

[Jacob]

I have no idea what any of this is about.

Your loss

[garbon]

I will survive.

[grumbler]

When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.

The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.

I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the  thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.

'Murica.

I have no idea what any of this is about.

I gotta agree.  This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.

[Scipio]

Utraque unum.

Team concept is crap.

[Maladict]

When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.

The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.

I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the  thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.

'Murica.

[Maladict]

I gotta agree.  This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.

It is more about team building than the OP.

[Brazen]

Anyone seen Severance? Now THAT's team-building gone wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVwBVm7yVE4

It has amputations and topless, gun-toting prostitutes. You'd love it.

[Malthus]

When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.

The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.

I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the  thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.

'Murica.

Heh, best "team building" I ever did was working to finish one major case almost two days straight, a partner, myself, and a group of juniors and assistants, then the partner I was working on pulled out his stash of really good wine at 4 AM when everything was finally done and ready to file- "I was saving this for something good. I guess this is it." 

Got good and drunk, turned up some tunes, stayed to file the stuff at 9, went home and stayed there for a coupla days ...

[crazy canuck]

I gotta agree.  This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.

It is more about team building than the OP.

Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.

[Jacob]

I will survive.

Alright Ms. Gaynor.

[garbon]

I will survive.

Alright Ms. Gaynor.

I am what I am.

[CountDeMoney]

Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.

That's because he could just give them orders.

[Razgovory]

I gotta agree.  This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.

It is more about team building than the OP.

Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.

Well the Navy was different back then. Leadership consisted sitting in the hull beating a drum and the crew would row with each beat.  Team-building was something done at the slave auction.

[DGuller]

I gotta agree.  This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.

It is more about team building than the OP.

Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.

Well the Navy was different back then. Leadership consisted sitting in the hull beating a drum and the crew would row with each beat.  Team-building was something done at the slave auction.