Rare is a job where we do independent work, in a workforce where teamwork and collaboration are a part of making a company and culture, our co-workers are a big part of that experience and whether we fit into the company. We each play a role individually and together, and when we work with others, we look for “good team players,” which can be a subjective definition to each person.
For some working with others can be a challenge; however, we can not change how others work, but we can change how we approach teamwork efforts and improving ourselves as a team player. After all, working for a company means pulling together not only your efforts but the efforts of others to create innovation and achieve set goals.
We mentioned we search for “good team players” which is subjective in some form, what I consider to be a good team member may not be what you define it to be. Although, there are traits which are common in team members we define as making a good team player. So, what makes does it mean to be a team member in a company? Let us find out what it means and how we can improve professionally to become a better team member.
What Does It Mean To Be A Team Player?
Teams are created within a company for many reasons. You may notice each department has teams, but overall we are a collective team to move the company forward. Each team is focused on one-time projects or working on a daily basis to accomplish set goals for their department and company.
Being a team member can have various meanings depending on the company and department. But overall, a team member is a structural part of the company that moves it forward in accomplishing goals set within the department and the company. They are the people who can effectively communicate, create, implement, and coordinate among many other roles a team member. They are the gears of the company driving the energy forward to achieve results that produce.
Becoming A Better Team Member
As a team member, your tasks may vary from other departments but you are all working together to achieve tasks in less time and produce results. So, how can you become a better team player? As the point as mentioned above, there are universal qualities which make up the “good team player” we seek, of course, we need to account we all have different work styles we follow.
Even though we might not be able to change the way others work, we can improve how we work with others that might not only benefit us when working in teams but when we work individually. Here are some of the ways we can improve as a team player and professional.
- Self-Awareness – insight into your strengths and weakness is one of the best ways of accepting and working efficiently. Recognizing our weaknesses allows us to acknowledge we need to work on them but also focus our attention to what our strengthens are and hone them. You want to be able to utilize your skills by tackling the role you are an expert in to function within a team.
- Removing Negativity – negativity is a black shadow of energy that lingers and taints your behavior. It is toxic and creates stress. Negativity can come through complaints or nonverbal behaviors which can affect not just yourself but others around you. The negativity we create can infect others work environment which is why we want to learn how to remove our negativity whether it’s through taking a different approach to the task or taking a moment to verbalize what is causing you to feel negative and turning it into something positive.
- Good Communication – working in a team requires us to have good communication, it’s a given. But one of the skills you want to refine is listening. By listening it allows us to pay attention to what is being said and felt. It’s not about being selective but understanding what is being said to act or respond to it.
- Respect and Adjust to Others Work Style – we can’t assume we all work in the same manner as we do. We each have our way of reacting and doing our tasks. Understanding how our co-workers work and prefer to be communicated will help us adjust to their style and create a middle ground where both parties can talk and work together to avoid problems.
- Share Interests – at first glance, this might be an odd one to think about but let me explain. When we focus on the interest of everyone and how to get there, a shift happens in work. By focusing on the interest of the team, we allow ourselves to strategize in achieving our team’s vision and retaining the goal we set out to complete.
These are just a few of the ways we can become a better team member within your department and company. When you are placed in a team, whether it’s a one-time thing or on a daily basis, you want to focus on the collaboration you have with your colleagues. After all, we each have our area of expertise we’re good at that allows us to combine our efforts with others to move forward a task and create innovation. Teamwork is an essential part of a company and the better we know how to work with others and understand and respect their work styles, the easier it becomes to work efficiently and without too many conflicts.
What are some of the ways you improve teamwork with your departments or company? Tell us in the comment section.