Hopefully you’ve had the chance to work with some great teammates. If so, you’ve seen how they can elevate the people around them, without being “selfless.” It is a myth that you can only be individually excellent or a team player—research shows you can be both! Strive for personal excellence and being a great teammate.
The following are a set of 10 recommended actions for applying the science of teamwork when you are part of a team. The recommendations reflect what great team members do that enables them and their teams to succeed. As you read through these, acknowledge the ones that you currently do well on a consistent basis. Bravo! Then identify at least two other actions that you intend to start doing, do more frequently, or do more effectively during the next few months, so they become part of your standard way of operating. Being a great team member is good for your career, your team, your teammates, and your organization!
1. Stay alert and be aware of what’s going on in your team, where its headed, and how you can help.
a. Be aware of your team’s needs and priorities and how you can contribute. If you’re unsure about where the team is headed, what’s most important, or what is expected of you, ask. Don’t guess. It’s hard to contribute to the team’s success without that understanding. Plus, if you don’t know, it’s likely that some of your teammates don’t know either, so you’ll be helping them by raising the question.
b. Learn about your teammates’ capabilities and preferences, so you know who may need your help and who you can seek help from. Who is good at X? Who knows the most about Y? Who might benefit from your expertise?
2. Ask “How can I help” and offer to provide support without waiting to be asked or told to do so.
a. Be generous with your support and expertise. That can be hard at times, but if you consistently help others, your teammates are more likely to view you as a trusted collaborator—and are more likely to help you when you need it.
b. Be open to and willing to accept assistance. Thank your teammates when they offer to help. Do this even when you decline the assistance because you don’t need it. If you make it hard for people to help you (“I don’t need any help”; “I already know that”), you’ll find that they aren’t available when you do need them.
3. Seek ways to adapt and improve—both personally and for the team.
a. The most successful teams aren’t great on day 1. They become great because they learn and make adjustments over time. Continually look for and share ways that you and the team can improve.
b. Demonstrate personal flexibility and a willingness to try new ways of working. Not every experiment will work, but it’s hard to improve if you never try anything new.
c. Don’t get discouraged if you make a suggestion that your team leader ignores. You can’t control that, but you can control whether you continue to try to help the team get better!
4. Fulfill your commitments—do what you say you will do and complete your assignments.
a. Trust is essential in any team, and failing to do what you said you would do is among the top trust killers.
b. People like working with teammates who they can count on. Don’t say, “I will do X,” if you are uncertain if you can. Be honest about what you can accomplish.
c. If you start to anticipate a delay or a problem in something you are responsible for, give others a heads-up about it. Don’t hope for a miracle, or you’ll be likely to show up empty-handed on delivery day. If you recognize that there may be a problem, alert teammates who could be affected by it.
5. Be an effective communicator.
a. Effective communicating isn’t about talking or emailing more often; it’s about communicating better. It starts with listening to what others are saying and then conveying back your understanding of what they told you (e.g., “So you’re saying that this project is now more important than the other one we’ve been working on?”). That type of “closed-loop” communication gives them a chance to clarify or confirm what they said, which greatly reduces misunderstandings!
b. It is easy to assume incorrectly that others know what you know. That happens so often that there’s a name for it—it’s called the “everybody knows” bias. When in doubt, share the information you have. You’ll be surprised how often a teammate didn’t know something you thought they did.
c. One simple but effective way to improve team communications is to get in the habit of asking, “Who else should know this?”
6. Care more about what is right than who is right.
a. Share your point of view, but your goal should be to ensure the best idea wins, not necessarily that your idea wins. Teams that disagree “collaboratively,” who are trying to find the best answer, outperform teams that disagree competitively (where everyone defends their own ideas) and outperform teams that avoid disagreements. Don’t pretend to agree and then complain about the decision later!
b. If you find yourself continually defending your ideas and repeating your point of view, that’s a sign that you may be more concerned with winning than with doing what’s best for the team. Check yourself.
c. Sometimes the best solution is one that combines ideas, so look for ways to connect different ideas to suggest an even better alternative.
7. Acknowledge your mistakes and voice your appreciation.
a. No one is perfect; we all make mistakes. When you make a mistake or hurt someone’s feelings, own it, genuinely apologize, and avoid repeating it in the future.
b. Be willing to say, “I was wrong.” If you’ve ever worked with (or lived with) someone who can never admit being wrong, you know how frustrating that can be.
c. When a team member does something that is helpful or positive, say, “Thank you.” Be honest: do you say “thank you” enough? Thinking “thank you” isn’t the same as saying “thank you!”
8. Provide and seek feedback within your team.
a. Make it easy for others to give you feedback. How? Thank them for sharing their perspective. Avoid acting defensively and attempting to explain why their feedback is wrong. And periodically ask teammates for their feedback (“How did I do?” “What am I doing that helps and what can I do better?”). Seeking feedback lets them know that you’re open to input.
b. Offer constructive feedback to teammates but know when to provide it in private. As a general guideline, if the feedback is likely to make the person uncomfortable, you probably shouldn’t be giving it to them in front of others.
c. Help your team leader be successful by providing them with your input. It can be harder to give upward feedback, so many leaders don’t get enough of it. First, ask your team leader if they are open to hearing your input on a topic. Learn what they might consider to be off limits.
a. What do toxic teammates do? They say hurtful things, make inappropriate comments, act rudely, embarrass teammates, withhold effort, talk badly about teammates, are continually pessimistic, and/or drone on about the things that irritate them.
b. If you’ve been around someone who consistently demonstrates some of these behaviors, you know how difficult it is to work with them. Don’t be that type of teammate.
c. Anyone can have a bad day. But if you exhibit any of these behaviors on a regular basis, you’re hurting the team—and probably jeopardizing your career.
10. Represent your team and team members when interacting with people who aren’t on your team.
a. When you interact with people outside the team, look for the chance to help promote and position your team. It’s okay to be a self-promoter, but great teammates also speak favorably about their team.
b. Attempt to generate support, make connections, and garner resources for your team. At a minimum, be a positive ambassador for your team. Never complain about your team to outsiders!
c. Be sure you’re prepared to answer the question, “What is your team working on these days” in a concise, constructive way. If needed, get advice from your team leader.