A
team player is someone whose work ethic is always applauded and appreciated by many because of how he or she executes a project with exceptional finesse and expertise through collaboration.
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A team player is rather interested in accomplishing a set of goals as a group than doing such alone. In contemporary workspaces, being a team player says a lot about you. It means you have a high level of emotional and social intelligence which are regarded as people skills. It makes you valuable to your employers and coworkers because you are less likely to create an atmosphere of conflict which hampers organizational growth.
In this article, I discussed 7 ways to be a valued team player.
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Understand The Company’s Vision
Be attentive to the vision of your employer. If you aren’t cleared, ask questions. The consequence of understanding your company’s vision is that it makes you act accordingly and not act in a manner that conflicts with the vision of the company. It’ll help you disagree less or accept the vision even if you have a contrary view.
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Be An Advocate Of The Company’s Vision
To be a valued team player you must be an advocate of your employer’s vision so that it’ll form the basis of your relationship with other coworkers. Learn to communicate the vision of the company appropriately to your coworkers so as to avoid disagreements in the workplace. Even when coworkers disagree with a company’s mandate, learn to give them reasons why they should carry out the instructions of the employer.
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Play Your Roles Effectively
A company is like a body with several parts such as eyes, nose, mouth, hands and legs, etc. Playing your role causes the effective lubrication of the work processes. Pay attention to your roles – turn in documents or reports before the deadline, turn them in the needed format, and so on. Avoid doing things your own way and make the work of your coworkers unbearable.
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Be A Problem-Solver
To be a valued team player, you must be a person who solves problems. Spend time thinking about how to offer solutions to issues facing your company. If it’s an overwhelming problem you can bring it to your employer or senior coworkers. However, be seen as one who offers solutions to problems.
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Be Flexible
As a team player, flexibility is required of you so that you can easily adapt when there’s an organizational change and change in projects or roles. When you’re adaptable to things you can easily work with a new team, fit into new roles and so on. The consequence of not being flexible is that you might fall into the trap of being confrontational in new spaces.
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Do Not Be Distracted By Competition
There are possibilities for competition among coworkers, but a team player’s goal is to achieve the company’s goal and execute the instructions of his employer regardless of what goes on around him – including competition. As a team player, if you’re distracted by the competition, it’s a matter of time when you’ll lose your cool.
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Admit Your Mistakes When Guilty
Admitting your mistakes is a sign of strength and maturity and it shows you have a high level of emotional and social intelligence. When you admit your mistakes you avert conflicts, you’re seen as responsible, teachable, reliable and dependable. This character endears you to your employer and coworkers. People who do not own up to their mistakes are seen as irresponsible, unteachable and difficult to work with. They fall into the trap of confrontations and thus, earn a bad reputation within the company.
Featured Image Source: Harvard Edu
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