December 17, 2012
Late Breaking News, Compelling Ideas, Just
Plain Good Stuff for the Gaming Industry!
Identifying personality
traits ...
that just might get in the way of peak team
performance.
By Guest Contributor Chris Archunde, Raving Partner,
Technology and Marketing Operations
I've been fortunate to have worked on the operations side
of our business and on the consulting side of our business,
and I've concluded that we're not much different from one
another, regardless of which side of the coin we land on.
We all started somewhere, and we got to where we are
today by working with some unique individuals.
I use a couple of analogies to define personas I've either
displayed or seen in people I've worked with over the years. I'm sure if we blocked
out the remainder of this page and gave a pop quiz to some of the teams I've worked
with, they could name two or three right off the top of their heads, since I refer to
them a lot. I call these analogies "syndromes" ... hence the names and definitions.
"Nellie Oleson Syndrome" -- If you grew up in the 70's and 80's, then you know who
Nellie Oleson was. If not, you youngsters can use Google to figure it out. A person
with the "Nellie Oleson Syndrome" may have the best of intentions when pointing out
all of the flaws and weaknesses without contributing to the solutions, or at the worst
will actually disrupt processes and then conveniently point the blame at an
unassuming peer. I'm sure you've all worked with a "Nellie Oleson" at one time or
another, and I'm sure just like scrappy "Half-Pint," you've settled your differences on
the playground.
"Noah's Ark Syndrome" -- This is a tough one. While a person with "Noah's Ark
Syndrome" is probably an amazing team member ... the danger of burnout is real.
This person believes that they are the only one on the team who's "built the ark,"
"found the animals," and "prepared for the flood." This person rarely seeks advice
and has a very hard time changing directions when the scope of a project fluctuates.
"Joan of Arc Syndrome" -- Yup ... the office martyr. You know the one (or are you
the one?). This person comes in early, stays late, takes on ALL of the worst tasks,
and reminds you and anyone else who will listen, over and over and over and over.
Again, this person is probably a good team member who's becoming disillusioned.
It's hard to find people who want to team up with this person because they don't
think they can "measure up," or they simply do not want to be dragged down in the
negativity.
"The Grasshopper and Ant Syndrome" -- Doubtless, both of these folks have great
skill sets. The snags pop up because the "Grasshoppers" want to dance through life
and shine in tasks as long as they're not dreary and boring, but when the going gets
tough, the "Grasshoppers" crumble quickly and may turn into "Nellie Olesons" rather
than working harder. Then we have the "Ants" who keep their eyes on the prize and
keep their noses to the grindstone. "Ants" cannot be sidetracked and will work until
they drop to get the project done ... hmmm ... could we be heading into "Joan of Arc"
territory?
I completely own up to the fact that I have displayed traits from all of these
syndromes at one time or another in the last twelve years, been called on it every
time, and am a better team member because of it. I now strive to be a stronger team
member and leader, and try to embrace more of the "Leonidas and Spartans
Syndrome." That's right ... when we've been faced with hurdles, been running on
fumes during 18-hour days, and it's zero hour to "go-live" ... you may see me raise
my fist and charge through the door shouting, "Tonight we dine in Hell!"
Just for fun ... which syndrome have you displayed over the years? Let me know the
next time you see me, and definitely share the ones you've come up with over the
years!
The Raving Flash! Report is compiled weekly by Christine Faria, Raving's VP of Operations & Communications, and is designed to be a
"quick read" covering everything from interesting casino promotions to gaming news. See our archived reports and newsletters by
clicking here. Got an interesting promotion or news item? Contact Chris at 775-329-7864.