Many workplaces in corporate America are now becoming more focused on teamwork to accomplish project tasks. Whether it’s finding new innovative ways to improve efficiency or discovering avant-garde methods to set a precedent for a particular industry, teamwork is absolutely essential. For some individuals that are used to independence in the office setting, working as a part of team can be very difficult. Thus, they would rather continue working in an autonomous fashion. In today’s work culture, this can prove to be very detrimental. It is absolutely essential to be able to work both independently and with a team and to contribute successfully to your organization’s bottom line.
In this current time and space, it is imperative to become a team member that people throughout your organization are eager to work with. Here are eight qualities to become a great team member in your organization, who not only adds value to your organization and teammates but also assists the team in accomplishing the mission at hand.
1. Be committed. It is absolutely essential for you to be fully committed to meeting your responsibilities and the overall mission of projects. Similar to sports, if you are not fully committed to the agreed goals, it can adversely affect the rest of the team. Half-hearted individuals yield half-hearted input, which leads to subpar project outputs.
2. Be competent. Oftentimes, teams fail to meet their objectives and targets, because one or more of the team members are not competent enough relative to their tasks. It is imperative for you to gain as much insight, knowledge and ideas about your job tasks and responsibilities as you possibly can. Charisma and confidence are important, but competency is much more essential for accomplishing the tasks at hand.
3. Be dependable. Are you dependable, especially when the clock is running out? Similar to sports, project teams need go-to members who can deliver when called upon. Project team members who are not dependable can cause frustration and anger and can ultimately lead to other members having to do their tasks.
4. Be enthusiastic. Are you a source of positive energy for your team? Positive team members are contagious. When they enter the room, it is beautiful to see how the energy and the overall vibe changes because of their presence. In most cases, these positively-contagious individuals help to create an atmosphere where people are enthusiastic about work and the overall mission.
5. Be relational. Oftentimes, with a project, there will be individuals who are just plain difficult to get along with and they always seem to oppose whatever you do. Thus, there will be times of opposition and adversity. But, understanding your purpose, continually acting upon your written plan of action and striving for positive relations will help you to persevere.
6. Be selfless. Nothing can ruin a project team like the presence of a selfish team member who is only interested in glory for themselves. Successful project teams require selfless individuals who are out to accomplish the projects goals and deliverables. As many career coaches have repeatedly expressed, “There is no “I” in team.”
7. Be results-oriented. Oftentimes, with a project, team members lose focus on the big picture and commence vain bickering on issues. It is important to keep your focus on the results and the solutions. Keep the big picture in mind and continually think of various ways in which you can produce results relative to the project scope, goals and milestone dates.
8. Be strong. To be sure, some projects are very complex and difficult. These types of projects can require many sleepless nights, where nothing seems to be moving forward. You may feel like quitting or giving up, but you should practice patience and be strong.
