Thursday, September 6, 2012

good, dreamer, rebel

I've noticed something kind of funny recently. It seems that when it comes to managing larger groups of people, not a whole lot changes from what the scenario looks like in a kindergarten classroom...

There's always the 'good' kids...the ones who are just so eager to learn, and to please, and follow every rule to.the.T.  They get very annoyed and agitated with the 'others'.

The 'others' aren't necessarily bad kids...  Some of them are easily distractable.  With those kids, if you can capture their attention, they usually pleasantly comply...the probably just didn't even hear your voice the first ten times you articulated what was going on.  They're the free-spirits.  They 'just wanna have fun' (and no, they're not all girls). 

Then there are the kids that actually have a rebellious streak...  They hear you, and they purposely tune you out.  You represent, to them, a challenge.  They actually find it amusing to ignore you, or do the exact opposite of what you said, just to see how you'll react.  The bigger the reaction, the bigger the payoff.  These little buggers will suck you into conflict faster than you can blink an eye.  
Look at all those little personalities...and think what it will be like to be in a church or PTO meeting with them in 20 years!!

Here's the funny thing...  I've worked with all of these types of 'kids'...in adult bodies!  I've led meetings, teams, and organizations...and today I was just pondering the irony of how similar it is...and was frankly amused picturing scenarios of the adults in I know sitting in little grade-school sized chairs and figuring they probably were a lot like they are now, as kids...

Oh, and don't think I've excluded myself from this scenario...  I won't say which one I am, exactly...though, I will say, I'm probably one of the only people ever to have gotten yelled at by a Pampered Chef consultant for being too rambunctious during a home demonstration.  Yep, no lie.  She was pretty ticked.  

Bottom line...we're all just a bunch of kids in bigger bodies.  (Some of us, considerably bigger bodies...)  So...which one are you? 




 

photo credit

1 comment:

Laura Johnson said...

I would be the good kid. Shocking, I know ;)

Actually I have a little bit of rebel too... or maybe we should call it 'know-it-all' or 'smarty pants' . I remember arguing with a teacher in my Alg1 class about a word problem he got wrong. No, really, he was wrong- I proved it. And he didn't like that.

Lol... you are right, not much changes... Though I would hope that as we mature we can learn to see our inner tenancies for that they are and learn to direct them in a positive direction.