Blood Almost Boiled

Ok. My blood almost boiled just now. Told a groupmate that he has to add this, this, this. In the end? Yes. He uploaded his draft early. This is good. We can all look through before discussion tomorrow. Then again, what is the point when there are so many important points missing?

I provided a review paper that he can refer and through email, I suggested several points he can include to make the report more substantial. Well... either he did not read my mail, or he is trying to hoodwink me, hoping I can add in the missing part for him - he did not add those points in. Instead, he adding a part that another person was supposed to do (this is really "icing on the cake")! However, based on my knowledge of his character, he is not that kind of irresponsible person (He better not be!). Ok... the overlap part is useful in that we get to compare both their materials tomorrow.

What really gets me is that I explicitly, in black and white, suggest to him what to write. Since we are no longer kids and I am not their senior but their peer, I do not want to "police" them. I have no rights to do that anyway. I can only give suggestions and gave them as such.  If they have other ideas that they think will work, it is fine with me. Unless it is stated as project requirement, I did not (to my memory) insist they include any material I said or simply accept my judgment unless it is agreed by the majority.  After all, I am not perfect and I believe I can learn from them. People who do not take into account the views of others but obstinately believes they are right will probably get no where.

As seniors, I believe that we should be able to perform tasks to a certain level, especially after clarifications and reaching a consensus. However, I think what I am getting is something more akin to a junior level work standard - fresh into a new environment, do not know what to expect. Yes. Everyone will go through a phase when they grow up and make mistakes. But a mistake of this scale at this point of time (after 3 years in the system)?

I think I will go nuts if I ever become a teaching assistant and have to mark the assignments of students. We need to take some initiative to do things that we think will improve the state of matters, in addition to what we are told/suggested to do. I do not see myself as better than others intellectually. However, increasingly, I have come to realize that what differentiates me from them is the willingness to go the extra mile to get the job done and to make sure I have done the work properly. Anyone can achieve this right? It is not something that is inborn.