Become A Smart Team Player

Become a smart team player

Any individual has to operate at three levels of relationship with others. They are:

1.       Dependence  

2.       Independence

3.       Inter-dependence

When we were infants, children, and young ones, we were totally dependent on our parents. When we took up a job after education and started working, we were almost independent. Once we get married and become family men, we become inter-dependent.

People will have different views of these three levels and will debate on which level is more productive.

Any individual, however brilliant he is, can rarely succeed if he works all alone. Especially in work environment, the teams only will succeed and achieve the objective of the organization. That means our success is achievable only through inter-dependence.

Let us understand what is a team. A team is:

·         a group of people who are joined for

·         achieving a common goal

·         within a stipulated period

·         having collective accountability

Apart from sharing information, the team members also share the responsibility of the team task. The team is always responsible for the outcome.

The team members should  work jointly to maximise the strengths and minimise the weakness by complementing each other. The most important feature of a team is “synergy” i.e. the team can achieve much more as the members can achieve individually.

It is very important for each member of a team to contribute his maximum and work in tandem with the other members to achieve the goal of the team. There are so many factors which contribute to a team to become cohesive which we will not discuss in this post.

We should become a smart team player. To become, we must play our role correctly. Knowingly or unknowingly, every team member plays a single or a combination of roles. Let us understand the roles.

Detractors. They cannot find anything right in the world. They criticise or complain about almost everything and everybody.

Try to understand how often or in what circumstances do we become detractors. We should consciously pull ourselves up when we find we are slipping.

Observers. They do not speak up in a group situation. They can be passive (mentally absent) or active by conveying through body language. Let us not be only observers.

Participants. They actively participate in groups plans and tasks. They seek examples and ask for clarifications. In a healthy group most members should belong to this category.

Contributors. Apart from being participative these people help others to learn and grow during group activities. Most contributors would be regarded as high performers.

Leaders. A member who helps the group resolve a deadlock has displayed leadership role. It need not be as per hierarchy.

Having understood the roles team members play, decide yourself which roles you should actively play to make yours a successful team.

Apart from playing your roles correctly, develop the following traits.

·         Always keep the objective of the team at top.

·         Always keep big picture in mind and base all your actions in harmony with it.

·         Be open and receptive to ideas.

·         Ask relevant, tough questions.

End note.

Most members in a team will fall into the participant category with a fair sprinkling of observers and contributors. Both detractors and leaders will be a few. Dysfunctional teams will tilt towards detractors and high-performing teams towards contributors and leaders.