Be A Strong Team Player

Let’s face it, the world we live in is highly competitive. Increasingly everyone is trying out do the other person to rise at the top of their career and achieve a higher propensity for comfortable living and financial emancipation. As a consequence of this, we are witnessing the attitude of every one for himself and inadvertently destroying the very laudable principle of ‘one for all, all for one’ that many of us grew by.

This competitive nature, with its attendant attitude of selfishness and sometimes, inordinate ambitions, has crept into the fabric of our corporate life. Interestingly, if there was ever a time that employers must pull in one direction and relegate personal ambitions for the good of the company, it is now – in a recession. No leader can tolerate acts of self-aggrandisement or self-promotion as replacement for a winning team spirit.

There is no doubt that group effort is much more powerful than individual effort. To be in your own boss good books, therefore you must be a strong team player. So the question is – how do you achieve this?

1. Active Participation: You must play your part to make the team function effectively. Being active is not about been loud-mouthed; you can be soft-spoken and not passive. Also your contribution to the team must deliver value. You must also be authentic to the team. Being a good player requires you to expand your horizon by learning about the other areas relevant to the success of the team.

2. Treat others with respect: Being active in the team should not be understood as needing to be domineering. Your attitude in the teams matters a whole lot. You must understand that each person deserves equal ‘airtime,’ unless they offer not to fully utilise theirs. Mastering and manifesting listening skills during team meetings is a great sign of respect. Additionally, you must manage the tone of your contribution so as to show respect for others. You must not be so opinionated that you shoot down other members’ contributions, or get upset that yours is not adopted by the team. Support a team-working philosophy that ensures that ‘the aggregate output is better than the sum of the individual parts.’

3. Own the team’s decision: If and when your view on a subject matter is not adopted by the team, there should be no cause for alarm.

4. Demonstrate Commitment: There are many team players that are renowned for doing more talking than acting. This is not how to be a good team player. When you commit to something in a team, you must honor your word. Among other reasons there is the possibility that another member’s ability to perform his role within the crucial part is dependent on your own result so no excuses at all. The point is that a good team player would not criticise loosely bit be sure of his facts and consistently honor his word to the team.

5. Make a Sacrifice: There are times that demands you making sacrifice for the whole team. Think yourself in one way like a soccer player. In soccer, for instance, there are players often describes as utility players. There are very versatile that they can play in more than one position on the field even if they have a best position implying that at times they are played out of position for the benefit of the team. Remember, the most valuable player on the field is not necessarily the one that scores the most goals, but his usually the one whose contribution si decisive to the team and the game. The key thing that a good team player doesn’t have to be the one in the limelight. To support this further, when you try to outdo every member of your team at the expense of your team, the team risks losing plot, and the manager himself potentially looks bad and under those circumstances he can hardly support your career.

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