Being a team player can be hard. Our culture often privileges individualism over group efforts, the lone wolf idolized in the form of cowboys, superheroes, and celebrities. Teamwork is a very important soft skill to cultivate. Whether it’s being a better study buddy in a study group or being a rock-solid co-worker in a team project, understanding how to work well with others is an invaluable skill that will serve you well in both professional and personal situations. Put yourself on the path toward being a stronger team player by following these six steps.
Be Willing to Compromise
Stubbornness is a bad quality when it comes to teamwork. You can feel passionate about your contributions but don’t get too attached to them. You need to be flexible and table ideas and processes if your team goes in a different direction. The same goes for roles: while everyone should have defined roles, sometimes you may have to step into a different role because of extenuating circumstances or because it turns out that you or another person are better suited doing something else. Being adaptable and open to the contributions of the rest of the team is also good for team morale. Nobody likes collaborating with someone who constantly refuses to go along and digs their heels in whenever the winds change.
Define Roles Early On
Good teamwork calls for delegation. Everybody should have something they’re responsible for. Deciding early on who does what will cut down on redundancies and give people goals to strive for. A good conversation to have early on with your teammates is to talk about strengths and talents. Who’s good at organizing things? Who’s got a great memory? Who’s a subject matter expert? Who’s good at time management? Who can take notes? If you don’t have this talk, your group might end up putting people in roles they're poorly suited for, which will make actions less efficient and more awkward.
Defining roles also makes it easier to set boundaries. One of the perils of teamwork is someone taking on too much work. While being flexible is important, it’s important to say no if taking on more responsibility will overburden you. Part of the point of having roles is so you don’t overextend yourself; you can focus on your small corner of the work and really make it shine as opposed to stretching yourself too thin and doing a bunch of things poorly.
Disagree Respectfully
Being a good team player means being able to disagree with others without raising the temperature. In any healthy team environment there will be differences of opinions; decisions need to be made, and sometimes people feel very strongly that their idea is the better one. Being able to advocate for your own contributions in a way that doesn’t alienate others is also crucial.
The key is respect. People need to feel that they’re being heard and that it’s safe for them to be honest with the team. If there’s a debate, don’t let it get personal. Pay as much attention to HOW you say something as what you’re saying; your body language, tone of voice, and eye contact could be telling them a different story. A smirk or dismissive eye roll could do as much damage (if not more) to team dynamics than words. Be an active listener and take into consideration what other people are saying. Don’t just wait to speak; listen closely and process what they’re saying, try to understand their POV before responding. If you have trouble understanding where a teammate is coming from in their disagreement, ask questions. Argue with what they are actually saying and not what you THINK they’re saying.
“Listening is such an important part,” said Dr. Melanie Abts, Rio Salado College's Counseling Faculty Co-Chair. “One can practice listening by asking to paraphrase what they heard. ‘So you are saying?’ or ‘Let me rephrase what you just said to see if I am understanding you correctly.’ Remember, just because you say something does not mean people understand you.”
When debating a course of action, frame your argument in terms of what benefits the team as a whole. Don’t advocate for your idea because it’s “your idea’; advocate for it because you genuinely believe it’s the best course of action for your team’s success. That takes it out of the realm of the personal.
Another big thing is to not play the blame game. Mistakes happen and people fall short sometimes. Let them take responsibility; don’t call them out unless it’s absolutely necessary. If they don’t know they made a mistake, talk to them one-on-one so you’re not putting them on the spot in front of everyone else. Show them grace because inevitably one day you’ll be the one who makes a mistake, and when that happens wouldn’t you want someone to show you the same consideration?
Not playing the blame game builds trust in the group. It tells people that if they err it’s safe to own their mistakes. When people are afraid that they’ll get a tongue lashing for messing up, it gives them motivation to deny what they’ve done and hide their mistakes.
Be Transparent
Good communication is crucial for teamwork. Try to be transparent while working with others. Give your teammates updates on your contributions and check in with them to see how they’re handling their responsibilities. If you’re struggling and need help, it’s better to be honest and ask for assistance than to suffer in silence, fall short of your goals, and risk bringing the team down as a whole. Being transparent will keep you accountable to your team and help them make better decisions because they’ll have a fuller picture of how things are going.
“Saying sorry goes a long way,” said Abts. “It shows you are taking responsibility when admitting you are wrong or made a mistake.”
Stop, SWOT, and Listen
One way to improve your collaboration skills over time is to seek feedback from the people you work with. Once a project is completed, reach out to your team members, managers, mentors, and other people who’ve seen you working in a team environment. Ask them where they think you could improve as a team member. What strengths of yours did they most value, and what are the weaker points in your team game that you can shore up with practice and a more intentional mindset.
A good tool to use to help you get a comprehensive view of your teamwork skills is SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. When working with others, ask yourself and others:
- Strengths: what do you bring to the group? What do you excel at? What is a talent or quality of yours that your team can reliably lean on in tough times?
- Weaknesses: what are your blind spots? What are skillsets and knowledge bases that you’re weak on that your team would benefit from you getting better at them? What soft skills can you hone to be a better collaborator?
- Opportunities: what resources or mentors are available to you that could help you shore up your weaknesses and build up your strengths? Are there external factors (workshops, networking events, team build activities, new technology, etc) that could make your team more cohesive and well-rounded?
- Threats: what are external problems and issues that could negatively impact your team? What are things in your own life (like obligations, health issues, and other prior commitments) that could distract you and split your focus from team activities? How can you best prepare yourself to roll with the punches and improvise when curveballs come your way?
Stay Positive
Morale is an important part of teamwork. If people feel enthused and confident about what they’re doing, they’re going to be more engaged and driven. Bad vibes can sabotage a team; if people start to lose faith in what they’re doing, if the work seems “pointless” or “impossible” to accomplish, it can throw the whole thing off-kilter. A simple and effective way to positively contribute to a team is to bring an appropriate amount of levity to the proceedings. Be happy, smile often, make jokes when the time is right, and be generous with sincere praise.
“Have fun! A great way to have fun is to stay positive,” said Abts.
Keep track of time and make sure your team isn’t skipping over breaks; a well-fed, well-hydrated, well-rested team is going to work better than one that starves itself working non-stop. If you can make the experience of working together pleasant— maybe even fun!— it’ll make it easier for your teammates to not feel discouraged when you all hit a stumbling block or two.
Article by Austin Brietta
Read About Wellness
Check out more of our Wellness and Student Success stories: