The interesting part is that the theory supposes that, naturally, an individual wishes to be recognized by the other. This can take many forms: Giving instructions, expecting to be obeyed, expecting to be complimented, etc.<\/p>\n
The fact human beings have learnt how to socially behave for quite a few centuries now has fortunately led to mitigate that instinctive reaction.<\/p>\n
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The environment affects your behavior<\/b><\/p>\n
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Although I\u2019m not a fan of excusing behaviors by overly taking into account the environment, it is fairly factual to say that there\u2019s a direct link between the two concepts.<\/p>\n
When the atmosphere is pretty tense, it\u2019s very easy to forget you should behave socially and start behaving instinctively, which usually translates into speaking to the others in a, let\u2019s say, direct and bossy way. \u00a0Basically, you\u2019re so eager to ensure you\u2019ll do a fine job that you lose sight of the broader picture and ask others to prioritize you own needs instead of theirs.<\/p>\n
Honestly, I\u2019ve done that in the past, still do that sometimes (no later than a few weeks ago in Richmond) and will probably go on doing that from time to time. All of this despite I\u2019m fully aware it\u2019s not the way to go. I guess the good news is that I can be pretty certain I\u2019m a human being.<\/p>\n
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Barcelona\u2019s issues<\/b><\/p>\n
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In Barcelona, there were Fixed Seatings for VIP teams. That\u2019s pretty easy to handle in individual, but in team, there is an issue: Table numbers are not written on all of the result slips and there are match numbers instead. Therefore, to determine table numbers, you need to multiply the match number by 3. And here comes the issue: Match numbers are not affected by the fixed seating, only table numbers. The direct consequence is that it was completely messing up the distribution of result slips.<\/p>\n
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Black and White<\/b><\/p>\n
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This was therefore putting a lot of pressure on the Paper Team Leader, who was almost completely blind as to how to identify where each match was taking place. At that moment, there were several possible reactions, amongst which:<\/p>\n
1-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOk, this is messed up, I can\u2019t work efficiently, you must find a solution\u201d.<\/p>\n
2-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSo, I have an issue. It makes my life pretty hard right now but if you could find a solution whenever you have time, that\u2019d be awesome\u201d.<\/p>\n
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The first reaction, although fairly natural, is a description of a totally instinctive reaction that simply ignores the potential issues the other may be facing on his side. No matter how important the issue is, the interlocutor is very unlikely to access to the demand. Indeed, he\u2019s unlikely to accept to be the slave here and in this situation, no consideration of any social relationship has been demonstrated.<\/p>\n
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The second reaction, however, indicates that you\u2019re aware the other may have issues of his own. You\u2019re not considering him as the slave in your relationship. You\u2019re not giving him an instruction but are asking him a favor. You\u2019re treating him as your equal. From that moment, unless he really can\u2019t it\u2019s very likely he will do his best to help you.<\/p>\n
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These two examples of reaction are located towards the extremes of the spectrum. 99% of the reactions actually lie somewhere in the middle.<\/p>\n
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Working with, not working for<\/b><\/p>\n
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Another key element to create that link is to detail not only the issue but also to come up with an embryo of plan that can guide the person whom you request help from.<\/p>\n
In short, going through a process like:<\/p>\n
1-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Defining the exact issue and why it is blocking.<\/p>\n
2-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Presenting it in a way that the other can understand it.<\/p>\n
3-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Assessing your needs to become fully operational.<\/p>\n
4-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Suggest a plan.<\/p>\n
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It may happen that the first try doesn\u2019t work. In which case, it\u2019s pretty important to invest time to analyze the \u201cwrong\u201d version and give guiding feedback rather than a mere \u201cthis doesn\u2019t work, try again\u201d.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t cost much to say \u201cThis doesn\u2019t work because of [X], can you check into that direction?\u201d. Again, it shows the other that there is cooperation.<\/p>\n
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You might wonder which fairly bad interaction happened in Barcelona so that it made me gather these thoughts. It\u2019s actually the exact opposite: While I did not realize immediately, the way I\u2019ve been approached by Steven Zwanger, who was leading the Results Slips team and who needed (rather than wanted) me to solve an issue, was so awesome that I couldn’t resist analyzing I\u2019ve chosen to analyze what he did and to try to spread the word!<\/p>\n
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