Imagine you were at a gathering in a picturesque setting. Some people know each other, many don’t. There are some organizers and one or two speakers with their handlers and supplicants. There are group events scheduled and arranged, but a lot of free time for people to associate and mingle. During the free time you find a comfortable seat to occupy. Others gather around that area and several are musicians who strum guitars or play other instruments, playfully harmonizing or toying with melodies and tunes. You’re sitting at very large square groups of tables put together. 

One of the counselor/organizers starts an ad hoc session, “Describe a time your wife contrived something?” As you start thinking of a response you realized how much negativity any response requires. You don’t want to conjure any negative thoughts or memories, so you opt out, which was fine and acceptable. After a while they bring out some food and various groups rearrange, some eating, others waiting. A person comes over and says, “Wouldn’t you like to move somewhere else?” You don’t answer or move, so he leaves. Apparently, he was trying to get some room for his impromptu group which didn’t include you, but would have included where you was sitting. 

This is the “Cast-out” emoji. I can’t picture the image, but the emotion is particular and deeply felt. Of course, the appropriate response is to get up and move, if one has the energy and presence of mind to do so; go find somewhere else to sit, preferably a place no one else needs. Groups are very popular things in today’s society and workplace. A group will include many different people with various skills and abilities, but when a group becomes a committee, can it ever produce excellence? Who has solutions to group disabilities, abnormalities and autoimmune syndrome? Are the rules and guidelines merely social steroids that block inflammation, but offer no cure? 

The idea of bringing together different skills, training and expertise to solve a problem jointly, rather than contributing separately sounds good, if only to speed up the process, but team dynamics must be considered. A team works together within the rules of the game. Imagine playing baseball, if instead of each player batting, nine committees walk up to the plate each in turn. The “Cast out” Emoji is just one in a whole set of Emoji’s which could be designed to describe failings, problems and realities within group dynamics. ©