At this point in your life, whether you are a senior or a freshman, chances are good that you've been subjected to working on a group project for some class. If you're a Ross snob (like myself) you've been subjected to this brutal form of accomplishing tasks over and over again. Chances are, in one of these groups you were involuntarily plopped in to, you also encountered that totally obnoxious kid who thinks they know everything there is to know about your project and the exact way to do it. This kid (I'll call him Randy) usually tries to take over the group life and direct the group in the direction he thinks is the best, without really considering anyone else's opinions. Chances are Randy really pisses you off. If this hasn't happened to you or you're never going to work in a team of any sort because you're planning on becoming a hermit, you can stop reading this post. If you have encountered Randy or think you might in the future or simply don't mind reading the ramblings of some weird college kid, then read on because there is a solution to Randy.
The problem with Randy is that even if you completely disagree with him, you usually end up just going along with what he says because he's either very persuasive or you just don't care enough to argue. Here's why you should argue: the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
Well G.W., we learned in class that the Dunning-Kruger Effect describes the tendency of the under-skilled to overestimate their abilities and the competent to underestimate their abilities. As Shakespeare put it, “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise
man knows himself to be a fool.” Reflecting on my personal experiences, I have found that the Dunning-Kruger Effect accurately describes most of the Randys I've encountered. Even if someone seems absolutely sure that what they are doing is the best, they may be leading the group in the wrong direction. What does this mean for us? It means that even if someone seems to really know what they are talking about, you should not be afraid to express your opinion because chances are, that person is overestimating their abilities and unbeknownst to them, they may actually be capable of error. It also means that you, with your seedlings of doubt about your own abilities, are actually much more intelligent and capable than you probably think. Knowing this, you should feel more confident when speaking up and contributing to group projects.
Now, this doesn't mean that every jerk you encounter during a group project is a Randy. Some people you meet may actually be every bit as smart as they think they are and are just huge jerks. Of course, the majority of people you meet will just be normal people who are happy to share ideas and work together to complete your project. However, you should always be able to identify Randy and know how to properly deal with him. Now go forth, be empowered, fight the Randy.
Mack,
ReplyDeleteI think this post was very interesting. I myself didn't quite understand the Dunning-Kruger Effect when we talked about it in class, and this made it more clear. I think that all people doubt their abilities at one point or another in their lives, and many people would rather stay silent than speak up and possibly be incorrect. Even the Randys of the world, as smart and confident as they may seem, may not believe they have the right answer but they choose to go ahead with what they think. It seems that sometimes the people who don't speak up maybe don't have the right answers, when in reality they are unsure of themselves so they don't speak up. I think if everyone became more confident in their abilities, our society would be more intelligent because ideas that never come to fruition would come up and people would learn from their mistakes.
I agree with Linda that your post was very interesting. I liked the topic, and you explained it in a very engaging, funny way. "Randy" is definitely an asshole, and people who have met him typically agree. I have been lucky enough to steer clear of Randy for the most part, but every now and then he shows up. I have found though, that when you have somebody else backing you up, standing up to Randy is pretty easy. Just last year I had a group role play in my German class, it was me, my friend, a quiet girl, and Randy. Randy had to have the meetings at his house, (which made everybody else in the group walk down Washtenaw to get to), and thew out as many dumb ideas as he could. However, my friend and I realized what was going on, and by denial after denial, we wore Randy down. When Randy was out of ideas, we finally were able to share our views, and the group agreed immediately on what to do next. Randy sucks, but with some patience, and some backup, Randy can be overcome.
ReplyDeleteMack, when I first read your post, I thought it was an attack against myself. Then I read the rest of the post desperately trying to find a defense and found that I was not actually Randy. Yes, I have encountered him, too, throughout the years. The difference, though, is that Randy never really picked up on his work and I had to fix his mess. Or I had to do the entire thing since he believed he could get it done... and then something came up.
ReplyDeleteOne interesting thing, though, about the Dunning-Kruger effect is do the people who suffer from it recognize they may be a victim? So does Randy ever believe he may feel that he is too dumb to recognize his flaws and instead sees it as intelligence? If this is the case, there seems to be a paradox since he is competent enough to recognize his flaws yet at the same time is incompetent enough to recognize it. This is not necessarily to say that those jerks who happen to be smart are a part of this. That's a different subset. (Though in TV, people who are smart do tend to be smart, don't they?) And do you think that people who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger effect can be amended?