Aspies and Team-Building

[Geordie]

Aspies may be weaker in interpersonal skills - hence, limiting their effectiveness in teamwork, and team-based performances. However, Aspies do have creative ideas that spark the whole group thinking.

How can Aspies safely add value to their firms, through their work, in a team setting?

Should Aspies focus on building rapport with the rest of the team, or are they better off just focusing on the things they do for the firm?

 

[tree]

I think it isn't an either-or situation.
The combination of a person focusing on developing competence
and then sharing ideas/approaches with others is a way to be part of a team.

If you have effective ideas and offer them, other people begin
to consider you as a person who adds value to the group effort.

There wouldn't be much point, in my opinion, to having 'rapport'
with people at work, if it didn't advance the project at hand.
Work is about accomplishing goals.

 

[Aeolienne]

Are you familiar with the concept of Belbin team roles? Not all team players are the same.

 

[tree]

This article apparently details the various roles within
the Belbin construct which seems to consist of the
idea that some people do some tasks more effectively
than other people and they should be placed
where they can do the most good.

Team Role Inventories - Wikipedia

(Plant, Resource investigator, Co-ordinator, Shaper,
Monitor Evaluator, Teamworker, Implementer,
Completer Finisher, and Specialist.)

 

[scrp14]

I actually don't have a creative side or creative minded so that just makes my ability to work in a team that much harder.

I've got an assessment coming up for a job soon and have been assured that it is heavily based around working with customers, within a team and have to interact with them nearly all the time because its in retail and for a pretty large company. I'm just now debating whether or not to go for it because even if I make it through the grueling group interview and ice-breaker activities with strangers who may end up my co-workers, there would still be a normal 1-1 interview which I naturally suck at.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Unless your interview performance has the potential for having some negative impact on your current job situation, suggest you consider doing it as a learning experience.

 

[Mr Allen]

Unless teamwork is crucial to the job, or even in the interview stage, I'd much rather "fly solo" to be honest.

That's probably why I failed that interview for Grainger Games last October, I didn't do well in the group based interview exercises.

 

[scrp14]

I think i'll pass even though its the only real chance i've had at securing employment in forever, i've read up on the company reviews and experiences people have had in the interview process and alot of times I see team-building exercises come up as a crucial part of their process and that there are 20 people on average going for 2 or 3 warehouse operative jobs - and emphasise on how well you function in a group and looking back during school days which is as recent as I can go as far as group work can go, I was always the odd one out and awkward to be around which still persists today.

 

[Darius]

Do not pass on the interview. Use it as a learning tool.

Even aspie who feels can't fit in the crowd can function well in a team and add value to it. Just do what you're good at and be yourself.