2002-11-07 - 5:30 a.m. cooperation The tippy-top of this big red sculpture peaks out over a green mound of cypress trees on the top of the hill in Lincoln Park when you're viewing the park from my window. This tiny glimpse of painted metal makes me feel lazy on days that I see it and think to myself "that's *so* far away..." Although my week has been long and tiring, sme of my coworkers apparently don't have enough to do. Despite their long lunches, and several hours long cafe stints throughout the day each day this week, they are still pestering me to do things for them. Why? DO I not look busy enough? Are the never ending conference calls, the stacks of items to be collated and shipped out, and the hours of bug-finding and fix testing invisible? Actually, I have a theory about these seemingly oblivious coworkers. The exact words came to me yesterday after such a slacker coworker was especially irritable and unpleasant when asked for clarification about one of her projects: It is important to recall that cooperation is not one way. It is a collaborative effort. If you are always the one to be cooperating and compromising and assisting someone who does not reciprocate, it means you're not actually cooperating -- you're just on the receiving end of delegation! In a similar train of thought, you can not force someone to cooperate with you. Some people, despite pretty words to the contrary *don't* want to work with you to achieve a mutually beneficial end result. I work with a fantastic woman who becomes endlessly irritated and upset by the people we work with who don't foster a collaborative, cooperative workplace. I credit her with bringing these thoughts of mine to the surface. It's nice to have friends in your life who get the wheels in your brain turning... The wind is still whistling though the raindrops have mostly subsided... the weather outside promises more stormy excitement, which means I'd better submit this before my neighborhood is stricken with a power outtage... any comments? (0 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09