Are you
a team
player?
Working as a team
and working in
harmony are essential
components of a
healthy workplace
culture. Carole Spiers
explains why
vital january 2013
Ilana Kohn/ikon
M
ost organisations have teams.
The sales team, the finance
team, the HR team, the
customer services team and, of course,
the management team. These teams are
created to bring strength and to channel
energy and creativity into the aims and
objectives of the organisation. Most
workplace roles require us to interact
with others. The concept of going it
alone is really only relevant in very
small
businesses where the driving
force is just the owner-manager, for
example, or the sole practitioner.
Good team players support other
members by offering practical help when
they need it. They can offer positive
feedback for the duration of a specific task
and especially after a project is completed.
Even if the end result is not as good as it
might have been, the effective team player
will look at the lesson that has come from
the experience, rather than
assigning
blame to anyone.
Teams are essentially built upon
expertise and individual strengths and in
the most effective teams you will often find:
l eaders who challenge and motivate the
team to give of their best;
i ndividual skilled workers necessary for
their technical expertise;
s upervisors who push to get the
job done;
m
onitors who review and assess quality;
c o-ordinators who see that the project
runs to plan.
When teams fail to function well, it is
usually because of poor communication
skills within the team and a lack of clear
understanding of individual roles.
Teamwork can often be challenging, and
individuals with a strong character do not
always find being a team player easy. They
have a strong urge to do things their own
way and their stubbornness can sabotage
the success of the team effort.
So if you were choosing team members
for a project in your organisation, who
would the best team players be? Naturally,
we have to assume that they all have the
technical skills needed for the work, but
what other characteristics would you need?
r eliable and can be counted on to work
hard, meet commitments and follow
through;
c ommunicates well to express their
thoughts and ideas in a clear, concise
manner but with respect for the rest of
the team;
l istens attentively and can absorb
information but not take it personally
when their suggestion is not always
accepted;
g ood problem-solver who can think
creatively and ‘outside of the box’ in a
solutions-orientated manner;
f ully engages with other team players and
maybe even volunteers for other
assignments;
s hares information, knowledge and
expertise to keep other team members up
to date;
c o-operates with others to get the job
done and takes the initiative to help;
f lexible and adaptive to ever-changing
situations, without becoming stressed-out
because a new direction may be taken;
c ommitted to his/her job and to the team
as a whole, not merely in their own role;
r espectful and considerate of the rest of
the team.
Good team players can usually see
beyond their own piece of work and are able
to appreciate the larger picture and vision
that is behind the specific project or
objective. They are pro-active and good
motivators of themselves and others. They
enjoy being a part of the success of their
team and of the competitive advantage
gained.
Are you one of them?
Reprinted with the permission of Gulf News.
Carole Spiers is author of a new book Show
Stress Who’s Boss and CEO of the Carole
Spiers Group, a stress management and
employee wellbeing consultancy
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