How To Be An Exceptional Team Player At Work

Coronavirus has rattled everyone to the core, but it’s evident now more than ever that teamwork is crucial and that workers around the world need to stick together.

Do you want to do your part? To boost your own profile (and enjoy the benefit), you must first become a team player and help others succeed.

“You’ve got to be willing to work with a diverse range of people,” says Joyce Russell, Dean at the Villanova School of Business. In fact, 78.7% of recruiting managers are seeking job candidates who exemplify strong teamwork skills, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2019 survey.

That’s because teamwork during these turbulent situations isn’t just good for organizational morale; it’s even setting you up for a future breakthrough in your career (promotion, anyone?). 

Why Is Teamwork Important?

Teamwork brings together different perspectives and allows fresh ideas and creativity to thrive. Plus, you’ve trusted people who you can rely on for support, which means less burden lies on your shoulders alone, which means you’re more able to take smart risks. 

Let’s take a look at how one can be a great team player. Study these tips for how to contribute your unique strengths and build positive bonds with your colleagues.

It’s essential to carry your responsibilities successfully before you can undertake tasks with a team. Use these techniques to prove that you have the skills, attitude and abilities to shine at your job:

1. Meet deadlines

Earn trust by finishing your work on time and following through with what you promised you’re going to do. Your teammates want to know that you’re responsible enough to meet the deadlines and that they can rely on you for any work. If you run into some problem and somehow you’ve delayed the work you’re doing, notify others quickly so they can update their plans. 

2. Take responsibility

Take responsibility for the quality of your job. If you make a mistake, confess it and prove you are learning from experience. It’s a great attitude one can possess in both professional and personal life.  

Personal workplace accountability is necessary because it is a crucial element of your character that is assessed daily. Every option that you make gives the world a portrayal of the type of person you are. 

Those pictures layer together over time, and the resulting composite is your character as viewed by others. How you create your personality is up to you, through your thoughts and actions, and you do it gradually, over time.

 If good ethics, values and principles govern your acts, you lay the foundation on which strong personal character is established.

3. Ask for feedback

Let your colleagues know you acknowledge their insights and feedback. When you are working on a complex project or wondering how to perform your daily tasks more efficiently, seek advice. 

In that way, they’ll also feel valuable and confident in the workplace. And instead of being defensive, see what you can learn from their suggestions while you are getting constructive feedback.

The most influential team players ask their coworkers for feedback. For example, ask your peers for suggestions on how to improve your next project after completing a group assignment.

4. Never stop learning

Taking on new knowledge and skills would make you a more valuable employee and part of the team. Register for work-related training courses and attend workshops at your area. Subscribe to newsletters, and attend business conferences.

5. Adapt quickly

Not all that you do as a team will be successful; there will be plenty of flops along the way. But holding on to failures only throws a wrench in the gears of development. This is why versatility is one of a team player’s main qualities. So, make sure you respond wisely the next time you confront a problem.

6. Try to dodge office politics 

For a healthy work culture, strong teamwork is essential. Office politics can create a toxic working environment — even if you work remotely — but you don’t have to be a part of it.

To do that, treat coworkers with respect at all times and don’t become a gossipmonger at the workplace. When you have a problem with a colleague, consider addressing it individually with the individual before taking it to your manager or someone from the HR department.

7. Show appreciation

A great deal of recognition in the workplace is about making people feel like human beings, not just human “doings.” Show a peer you appreciate them by asking if they like a campaign they’re working on, or by following up on something they’ve told you about their personal life, like the first day of school for their kids.

Working well with others will help you to seek a rewarding career. Open up to more possibilities and build useful connections by learning how to become a better team player.