Being part of a great team member, whether at work, sports, or academics, is indeed a phenomenal feeling. When you just know you are about to hit the jackpot because of your efficient team and its efforts, it has most of us feeling on cloud nine. Happiness, euphoria, contentment, gratitude, and pride are some words you may use to describe your emotions at such times. Knowing you have an exceptional team to work with, you’re pumped to get up every morning and seize the day all over again.

If you know this feeling, hold onto it, because unfortunately, it is not something everyone gets to experience often.

Several workplaces and other similar establishments suffer from low engagement, lack of trust and commitment, and poor communication between team members. These problems lead to another long list of problems, which includes failure to progress, thrive, and achieve more.

However, as believed by most employees worldwide and proved by numerous professional teams, teamwork is one of the chief keys to success. Getting there can sometimes be quite tricky, as it needs the efforts of every single member, not just one.

So how do you really get there? How do you form an efficient, communicative, and stellar team? The answer is very simple- you start with yourself.

To become a better team member, here are some ways you should consider:

Understanding Your Role

The foremost thing you should remember is to understand your role within the team fully. Knowing what your duties and responsibilities are should be your top priority. Once you entirely comprehend each of your tasks, you will surely be able to perform better and outdo yourself in some, if not all, tasks.

Once you have done your work to the best of your abilities, you can even offer help to the other team members. This will not only add to your knowledge by working in different departments but also result in better relations with your colleagues.

Being Open-Minded

One of the most significant components of being a good, interactive team member is to stay open-minded and welcoming to your fellows’ ideas and perspectives, especially if you are in a position of authority. Understand that some individuals may read 6 as 9, and that is okay. Listen to why one member sees it as 9 instead of 6- is it because they are standing opposite to the one reading it as 6, or is it just because they have poor eyesight? You never know.

The point here is to have good listening skills, be receptive, and show interest in each member’s suggestions and proposals. Thus, instead of getting defensive and opposing when you receive constructive criticism, try to see from your team member’s perspective and incorporate their plans into yours, or make an entirely new strategy, one that is finer and agreed upon by all.

Being Communicative

Good communication is the key to achieve any goal when working as a team. It won’t come easy, but it is undoubtedly worth the effort. All famous teams communicate well, share and exchange ideas, ask for advice and feedback, brainstorm together, and are open to constructive criticism. Let’s break this key component down further:

• Clarify: Remember to make things clear from the start; what is each member’s role and responsibility? What are their limits and boundaries? How can each member be contacted, and till what time, office hours only or beyond? While these points may seem trivial, they have considerable importance in the long term.
• Method: What methods will the team be using to achieve their goal? Is it acceptable and doable for all? How will members communicate and update one another? Emails, text messages, calls, or in-office daily/weekly meetings? Decide all before you proceed.
• Collaboration Tools: Sometimes, it is not possible for all members to be present at one place at the same time due to personal reasons or otherwise. However, this should not become a hindrance. Find a way to maintain steady communication – hold a conference call, a conversation at a more informal setting, or quick weekly catchup over the weekend at a close-by coffee shop. When you set a goal, go above and beyond to achieve this.
• Listen and Respond: Simply listening to your colleague’s ideas is not enough. Inquire about their proposal and respond accordingly. Make them feel you consider their idea and are willing to work on it.

Being Adaptive and Accountable

Do not stick to your conventional, rigid ways if a team member offers or teaches you a better, more efficient way to complete a task. Your efforts won’t always result in success; there will be ups and downs. However, getting hung up on mistakes will only worsen things. Try to learn from each flop that you make along the way and come up with a more structural and well-prepared strategy.

Moreover, if you or your colleague makes a mistake, do not make matters worse. Understand how each of your actions impacts the entire team and make decisions appropriately. As you hold yourself accountable and learn from the errors you make, you will earn more respect from your peers.

Being Appreciative

One of the greatest feelings in the world is having your work appreciated, and it gets even better if it’s from a team member or your boss. While working with a variety of personalities is tough, particularly in this multigenerational era, when each individual has a different work style, it can also be just as enjoyable.

Try to understand how each of your colleagues works and comprehends tasks, and tailor your communication style accordingly. Appreciate them when they present a good idea and show interest by asking questions about it. This will also help you avoid unnecessary rows and issues.

Being Responsible

Being responsible is what will take you from the bottom to the top in little time, not only at the workplace but generally in life. Learn to be responsible by meeting deadlines timely and being reliable, reachable, and responsive. This will make you trustworthy and help you build a better rapport with colleagues.

The Summary – A True Team Member

A true team member produces high-quality work in the given time with their team members’ input and discussions. With a strong work ethic and commitment to the profession, he/she works passionately, actively listens and responds, considers each colleague’s ideas and respects them, and offers help and solutions. Most importantly, in the end, do not forget to reward yourself for all that you have achieved.

~cmx