In today's workplace, you are expected to be a contributing team player, usually serving on several teams at once. Some teams are comprised entirely of individuals within your work group. Other project teams are cross-functional and consist of colleagues from across the organization, and yet other teams include people from other organizations such as consultants, vendors, and clients.
Your ability to be a valuable, contributing member of these teams can have a significant impact on achieving your career goals. Gaining a reputation as a valuable team member impacts your current work goals, your relationships at work, your opportunities for team leadership, and how satisfied and motivated you feel in your job. Here are some characteristics of a contributing team member.
Cooperative and Supportive Attitude Toward Other Individuals on the Team - For any team to achieve its full potential, you, as an individual team member, need to set aside your own personal agenda and support the other members of the team. Nothing slows down the forward progress of a team more than individuals with uncooperative attitudes. You may not always be in total alignment with the direction of your team, but you need to support your colleagues and leaders and cooperate with them to achieve desired team outcomes.
Focused Listening Skills - For the whole team to operate efficiently, you need to focus on the input of others, integrate the message, and act on it without having to be reminded.
Consistency in Preparation and Performance - Successful teams function well when individuals do their part and then hand the task off to others on the team. If you are poorly prepared or perform your tasks inconsistently, you slow down the entire team effort. Teams live and die by the trust they have in each other, and when you are consistent about performing your tasks, you increase the amount of trust your team members feel comfortable placing in you.
Skilled in Planning, Organizing, and Time Management - Because of the intricate way that workloads are shared and sequenced in a team, you must be skilled in planning your role, organizing your individual workload, and completing your function in a way that enables everyone else to complete their work on time.
Knowledgeable and/or Experienced in Team Role - An ideal team member has the training, knowledge, and experience to perform effectively in their role. If your role is new to you and you lack the desired experience, you have a responsibility to make up that deficit through study, mentoring, or additional training without slowing the team's progress.
Alex Zaborenko
Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming
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