What Is A Good Team Member?

TEAM - "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." Harry S. Truman

While discussing the concept of team with one of my own team members - we touched upon the characteristics that make for a good team member.

It's one thing to one to gain value from being part of a team, however it is also very important to bring value to the team as well. So now let's see what we can Be and Do to add value to a team.

Communicate effectively: It is important in order to accomplish a goal or a project to communicate well amongst each other. That includes being willing to share ideas and opinions. Also, to learn to ask good questions that can get folks to think out of the box and come up with new solutions. Asking though questions is not always comfortable but necessary to the growth of any team.

Be open: Depending on the type and purpose of the chosen team, it is important to be open to receiving feedback on your ideas and grow to be comfortable with having others disagree with you. Not taking things personally will serve you well. Think of it as going forth in a sort of joyful vulnerability.

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." Vince Lombardi

Cooperate: It is vitally important to every team that the spirit of cooperation be felt. The whole purpose of a team is to leverage other people's talents, and ideas and together accomplish more. So if you are not willing to cooperate and go along with ideas and strategies other than your own, then you make want to reevaluate your participation in the team.

Be solution focused: When a group comes together to get something done, the effectiveness of the team is greatly enhanced if personal egos can be left at the door. It is not a time to be focused solely on your perspective but rather be willing to hear and implement various tactics, in order to arrive at the desired solution. The end result is what is important. After the all that is the purpose of coming together.

Be dependable: Being a team member and a valuable team player means others will come to depend on you for getting certain things done, or for bringing ideas and strategies forward. It will be important to you, to the others, and the success of the overall team to have its members do what they say will be done.

We all know how frustrating it can be to be counting on someone for something and they do not come through. Being counted on may not always feel comfortable, however your sense of self esteem and self confidence will certainly be enhanced as you demonstrate to yourself, and to others that you are a person of your word.

The list of qualities and characteristics of a valuable team player could go on at length. The most important characteristics may vary according to the purpose of the particular team.

Tip: I recommend that you get in touch with your own values and your desires and be clear about these. In turn, this will help you choose more effectively the right team for you to participate in or on the other hand invite the right people to join you.

What do you feel makes for a good team player?

Learn to Be Your Own Wizard.

Lynette
http://www.formulatomanifest.com