312 – Different Work Styles
Before I started my new job, I didn’t know that I would be working so closely with another employee of the company. I was used to a lot of autonomy in my last job, and I have always been self-directed. I didn’t need close supervision and the boss never had to worry about me slacking off. To tell the truth, I was a little apprehensive about working in a team after having had so much independence. To my surprise, though, I liked the collaborative environment and I think I actually do better work because of it.
Of the two of us, Delilah is the creative one. While I’m a little averse to risk, Delilah is always challenging the status quo. She often has good ideas, and because I’m pretty resourceful, we often find a way to put those ideas to work. Delilah has great follow-through, too, and I never need to worry that things will fall through the cracks.
I think the key to our success in working together is that neither one of us tries to exercise authority over the other. We respect each other’s abilities and we know when to take charge and when to back off. If you had told me a year ago that I would be working in a team environment and enjoying it, I would have told you that you were crazy. But I guess the old saying isn’t true: You can teach an old dog new tricks.