How to be a GREAT TEAMPLAYER?

If you look at job recruitments, you’ll see this requirement often: Great team player. Why do companies emphasize this quality? Simply because teamwork is important in getting things done! At the same time, great teamwork is good for company morale and if you show that you are a great team player, your chances for success at work are higher (promotion, anyone? 😉)

Teamwork brings together different ideas and skills for the project to flourish. Also, you need to have support from your colleagues to have your back when needed, especially when you are stumped at a task or need some guidance. Imagine if your colleagues left you all alone to survive the deep end of the pool? Chances are you won’t make it and you’ll hate going to work! But if you have colleagues you can trust and vice versa, your work life will be better, more efficient, and of course, more pleasant!

So how do you go about working well with others? Here are some tips.

1. Meet your deadlines
Nothing makes your colleagues more annoyed than you not meeting up your end of the deal. Put simply: If you say you are going to do something, then you should be trusted to do it and do it well. And not have your colleagues roll their eyes because they know you can’t be trusted to deliver. Being reliable is extremely important at the workplace. You want to be the one others know they can trust and not the one they know is going to be the reason why the project will fail.

2. Adapt
People work differently and therefore have different expectations and limitations. When working as a team, mistakes or miscommunications will happen, like it or not. But don’t get hung up on them; instead, be flexible and work about these setbacks. Adaptability and agility are key traits of a team player so the next time you encounter a problem or something that just isn’t the way you do things, step back and say, “OK let’s see how we can work this out.”

3. Focus on the team’s goals and not yours only
Sure, you want to be the one who performs well in the team but for the greater good of the team and the company, it’s important to focus on the bigger picture. Being a team player sometimes means putting others’ needs and interests above your own. It doesn’t matter if you did a great job on your part when others have failed in theirs because of the lack of collaboration – the whole project is a failure in this instance! So come together as a team, focus on what the team’s goals are and work towards them. Do your part well and help others; someone up there will notice this key trait in you and reward you for it in time.

4. Avoid rumours and politics
Being a team player doesn’t just mean working together well. It also means having respect for others. Last thing you want is a toxic work environment, the number one killer for teamwork. Always treat your colleagues with respect.

5. Be open minded!
Part of being a team is being open to other people’s ideas! Putting down your colleagues’ opinions and perspectives is a sure way to dampen the team spirit. Be the colleague who listens well and is receptive towards feedback and even constructive criticism. There’s plenty to be learnt from others’ point of view.

Tell us more about what being a team player is to you at Twitter @Graduan

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash