HowtobeaTeamPlayer.doc

How to be a Team PlayerBeing successful at work is about more than just your own personal achievements at a company its about working well together with others. After all, this is how you contribute to the success of a company, which is the whole reason you are there. And being a team player at work is about more than just collaborating on projects (this is, after all, your job), its also about your attitude and the gestures you make to convey that youre a part of the team. Integrate a few of the following pointers into your routine in order to collaborate more with your fellow workers. Volunteer for Projects There are always those projects that will come up at work that require a few more helping hands. So even if said project doesnt exactly fall under your job description, offer to help out if the team needs some extra manpower. Youll really help out your coworkers, people will appreciate your efforts, and you might learn something new that can help you out in your own work. Offer to Help a Coworker If you sense that a coworker is falling behind on their work or that theyre going to be staying late that evening working on a big project, ask them if theres anything you can do to lighten the load. Its often better for the company if the project is finished more quickly, and you may help that coworker catch something that they might have missed in the anxiety of tackling such a large task in the first place. Go to Lunch Some people like to use their lunch breaks as a chance to run errands, catch up on emails or phone calls, or get away from the office for an hour; but make it a point at least once a week or a few times a month to sit down and talk with your coworkers over a meal. You may find that the peers who are high-strung throughout the rest of the day are really neat people during their down time when they arent thinking of the work at hand. Take Part in Company Activities Whether its a potluck, a birthday celebration, or an office contest, try to get involved in company activities when these come up. If your office is part of a recreational softball league but you just arent athletic, show your support by cheering on your coworkers from the stands. Taking part in the extracurricular activities of your office makes work more enjoyable for you, as well as endears you more to your coworkers, who may work more productively with you as a result. Not everyone is a natural socialite, but even if you are shy or new to the company, there are still ways to be a team player. Ultimately, your coworkers will appreciate your efforts, and will reach out to you more as a result.BeingaTeamPlayerBehave like a team playerAs a manager, you may frequently lead teams as well as participate in teams led by someone else. In either situation, you need to demonstrate the qualities of a good team player rather than an individual performer. When both team leaders and members behave like team players, the teams collective output becomes more than just the sum of each persons contribution. Experts call this synergy.By behaving like a team player rather than an individual performer, you help your team produce outcomes that are greater than the sum of the individual members contributionswhether youre leading the team or participating as a member.Pace, dont leadLeadership should mean managing communal activity, not being a dominant megalomaniac. Allowing people to arrive at their own conclusion is important to their self-empowerment.Personal InsightLeadership, I think, too often is seen as being an exercise in domination. And thats seen as a virtue in its own rights. The great leaders have an absolute idea of where theyre going, and they lead by example. Lead by example, you hear that all the time as a virtue. And I question it. I think there are times when it has to be done, but the consummate manager is much more circumspect and only uses that as a last resort.My first exposure to the importance of this was quite early in my management career, when I was on one of these courses in Wales where you run up and down hills and build bridges over streams and everything, which was all great fun. And it was the first time Id actually been videoed. The exercise that we had to do was, basically, get a load of bits of wood over a high wire or something, without touching it. And there was a load of people there. Id been elected, quite just by chance, as the team leader. What I proceeded to do was to get this rabble of people around me, who were all shouting ideas, and just say: Right, I know what were going to do. And I just told them, as a matter of fact, what we were going to do.The video of the reaction of those people was just one of the most powerful things Ive ever experienced. This enormous, huge cauldron of energy just imploded. And they just said: Oh, all right then. I couldnt understand it at the time. I could sense it, but I was saying: Right, okay. Joe you go up and get over wire or whatever. People just were meekly doing it, but they didnt actually care anymore. Thats because I just told them what to do. I wasnt pacing; I wasnt involving them in the decision. I was telling them what to do. And thats a fundamental business lesson. So many people, particularly in small businessesand therefore a lot of egos involvedjust take this approach.So what is pacing all about? The metaphor is actually a very simple one. Its the trainer, running alongside the athlete. Hes not running ahead of him, telling him where to go. What hes doing is running alongside of him. And why is he doing this? Because he wants to encourage him, he wants him to know that hes not alone, and he wants him to know that his needs are being fulfilled. Hes not telling him how fast to run, though. Thats his decision, because hes the expert.Generate creative ideasWork to understand more about your teammates expertise and knowledge. The broader your understanding, the more easily you and other team members can combine your perspectives and generate creative ideas.Heres an example: Sonya, the operations manager on a cross-functional team charged with developing a new banking product, asked the marketing manager to talk about customer preferences. She also discussed product costs with the financial specialist. Her broader understanding sparked an important insight for the teamSince our customers will likely use this product outside normal business hours, we could provide it through self-service on our home-banking Web site. That would lower costs, bringing revenues straight to our bottom line.Also seek ways to expand your teams set of feasible alternatives from which to make decisions. The payoff? More creativeand better informedchoices.Consider this example: Andrew was on a team charged with determining how to use a piece of vacant land owned by his company that abutted the headquarters building. The team weighed two possibilities: selling the land or expanding the current building onto it. Andrew raised additional alternatives, including leasing the space and constructing another type of building on it. By evaluating the potential pros and cons of a wider set of alternatives, his team improved its chances of making a more informed choice.Share what you knowAs a team player, you have a lot to offerincluding information, experience, and specialized know-how. The more you share these offerings, the more synergy you help generate in your team. Here are two ideas to get you started: Teach: For example, if youre familiar with the groupware your team plans to use, provide a tutorial for teammates who have never used it. Provide relevant information: If youre the marketing person on the team, disclose what your department has learned about customers and suppliers.Commit to the groupIndividual commitment to a group effortthat is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Vince LombardiIt takes time for people from different specialized functions to work well together. To ease this process, apply these practices: Get to know your teammates: Take time to know other members of your team on a professional and personal level. You dont necessarily need to become their best friend, but find out how they think and what most motivates and engages their best work. Youll soon find it easier to communicate with them. Complete easy tasks first: By successfully working on manageable tasks first, you build up positive chemistry with teammates from other functions. You can then move on to more challenging tasks, building on the foundation youve established. Bring in a facilitator: A consultant who specializes in developing collaborative behavior in groups can be a valuable resource.Seek win-win solutions with teammatesIf you have a conflict with a fellow team member, dont assume you need to compromise on issues important to you. Instead, seek trade-offs that will satisfy your and the other persons interestsand not force either party to concede important issues.Suppose you and another team member want to take responsibility for the same task. In this case, you might cultivate a win-win mentality through these practices: Explain your circumstances: My understanding is that the tasks have not yet been assigned. Explain your interests in the issue at hand: I think I can bring valuable expertise to this task that would let me complete it quickly, which is crucial to our team. Communicate your preferences among options, and invite the other persons perspective: Id feel best about this if we at least shared some parts of this task. What do you think?Support team goalsBefore accepting an invitation to join or lead a team, carefully consider: Your level of commitment: Youll be an ineffective team player if youre not fully committed to the teams goals. Your level of enthusiasm: Unless youre enthusiastic about the effort, you wont give it your full focus and energy.If you feel certain that you can go into a team effort fully committed and enthusiastic, seize the opportunity to join or lead the team.Be reliableGood team players are reliable. They can be trusted to do their share of the work, do it well, and get it done on time. They do what they say theyll do, and