How To Be an Effective Team Member

July 19, 2011|Tips At work| No comments yet

Being an effective team member can be hard for someone that likes to work on their own and has a strong sense of personal identity. To onlookers and co-workers, this kind of person can seem like an egocentric workaholic. If you’re this kind of person, then you need to read ahead to figure out how to work effectively as a member of a team. Your success in life and business is dependent on how well you can interact with others, no matter how smart, driven, punctual, or disciplined you are.

Working on teams can be inherently frustrating because you are thrust into an environment that can be spontaneous, difficult, quirky, and frustrating - as people are. Poor communicators can leave you feeling out of the loop. Communication skills are at the heart of what it takes to be an effective team member. If you’re having problems with someone in your group, then letting those problems fester and worsen can put a damper on all group activities henceforth. Don’t let bad feelings brew because this will isolate you from the group further.

It can be tempting, but you shouldn’t blame others. People in your group tend to break away from you and lose respect for you if you’re always blaming others. Everyone knows who isn’t pulling their weight so by casting blame all you’re doing is making yourself look frustrated. Always consider group members’ ideas and don’t act like a know-it-all because this can distance you from other members of the group. Everyone needs to feel valued and appreciated.

Don’t brag because this will make you look proud, arrogant, and stubborn. Group members will not react positively to bragging. If you rejoice in your successes, that is one thing. Let other group members point to your successes and praise you. Outside praise is always better than glorifying yourself. Listen actively to other group members. Even if you’re taking in all that they’re saying, they may not recognize it until you make it verbally known to them by remarking on their ideas and commenting on their activities.

Get involved in the minor details of group activities so that you seem to be a democratic force in the work environment rather than an out-of-touch authoritative leader.