What does it really mean to be a team player?
Teams and team structures are being increasingly used in organizations in order to improve communication among inter-reliant individuals and to capitalize on multiple perspectives in problem-solving situations. The growing focus on teams aims at increasing competitive advantage, enhancing productivity and improving decision-making.
Effective teams consist of different individuals who have different views but share a common understanding of the team’s goals and common vision. Even though each team member has a specific job function, all team members strive to meet the team goals.
The importance of team composition
As team structures are becoming increasingly popular, organizations are looking for employees who have the potential for being good team players. In the selection process, managers aim at identifying traits that are associated with team skills such as communication, reliability, or flexibility.
Although team members share a common vision, the cognitive aspects of each team member are those that eventually add value to the team. Team composition is essential to team performance. Besides the individual expertise and skills of each team member, cognitive factors that contribute to team effectiveness are conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and emotional stability in relation to the team size and team processes.
The general characteristics of strong team players
The best team players are not only those individuals with the suitable technical skills and the knowledge to complete the assigned tasks, but mostly those who are able to perform well.
The general characteristics of effective team members include traits that allow the team to be more efficient. Usually, strong team players are equipped to assume multiple roles and carry out the tasks in a timely and accurate manner. They recognize their strengths and know how to maximize their influence on team success. They are autonomous, self-managed and self-sufficient. They respect the working culture and have a high code of ethics.
The role of effective team players
Lack of communication is one of the main causes of dysfunction within a team. It is essential that strong team members demonstrate those attributes that can promote effective communication within the team by leveraging the knowledge and skills of each team member.
In particular:
Effective teams need active listeners to function productively. Active listeners can understand and reflect on ideas from other team members without coming in disagreement over every point. They are disciplined, patient and know how to be alert for opportunities that can strengthen the team. They pay attention to what is said, but even more to what is not said by focusing on facial expressions and body language. By reading behind the lines, they are able to promote effective communication and problem solving. Most importantly, they listen first and speak last.
Strong team members participate actively in the team. They take initiatives, volunteer for assignments, and contribute greatly to team effectiveness. They express their ideas openly and straightforward, showing respect for other team members. They always put forward constructive ideas in team meetings, and communicate their points in a constructive, confident, and considerate manner.
Experience and knowledge sharing is fundamental to team success. Particularly, in a knowledge-intensive workplace, strong team players share information and experience with their teammates to facilitate the progress of the teamwork. Typically, information sharing is informal and is being made on routine discussions on day-to-day conversations.
d) Build trust
Strong team players act responsibly. They undertake responsibilities that are not within the scope of their current role and they are willing to go the extra mile at work. They have a strong sense of shared identity for the team’s success, but they never put the blame on another team member or the entire team if they are responsible for a failure. They display determination, respect and willingness to cooperate with their team members and business connections. In doing so, they build trust and maintain a high level of integrity.
Effective team members know how to accept criticism without taking offense. They know how to disagree with other team members constructively and always find ways to work together to meet the team’s goals. When faced with criticism they are open to analyze and evaluate their team members’ feedback in order to improve their work and add value to the team. They promote teamwork, are open to learning and consider the positive side of constructive criticism.
In conclusion, the importance of teams is seen as a factor that drives the actions of each team member toward the achievement of organizational goals. Cognitive team consensus implies a similarity in the perceptions of team members regarding the importance of team issues and requires information sharing and group learning. Strong team players are required to balance attention to individual and team goals and promote effective communication within the team.
