The conversation felt inauthentic. Executives told me that my future promotability depended on my ability to work collaboratively. They told me to fit in. When I asked for specific examples of my not being a team player, they could not provide them. I understood ultimately that when the term team player is utilized it only appears to imply a commitment to cooperation.
Team player is really a demand for conformity.
I learned that ideas that require people to transform their worldview generate hostility. I did not comply and began to plan my departure from the newspaper. One day I talked to my friend and consultant John about this criticism. He felt irritated with me because he heard me talk about this feedback before. He said, Quit beating yourself up over that.