• 2-minute read •
There are motifs in the working world that we have heard so many times we don't think about them anymore. We think these motifs or themes are unassailable, like motherhood and apple pie.
One of the sturdiest and most unassailable themes in the business world is 'teamwork.' We all want to be great team players. We don't want to let down the team. We've been taught since we were tiny children that being a team player is the only way to be.
It is time for us to reexamine our ideas about teamwork. Too many managers use fear as a weapon, and one form of weaponized fear is the threat "You're letting down the team!"
Very often, it isn't true.
Fearful managers will say "You're letting down the team!" when they really want to say "You have to do this thing I want you to do, and the best way for me to pressure you into doing it is to tell you that the team is relying on you and you're in danger of letting them down."
Teamwork can mean collaboration and mutual reinforcement, or it can mean keeping silent when you want to speak, so as not to stand out from the crowd.
Teamwork can mean helping someone achieve an ambitious goal, or it can mean telling them "That goal doesn't seem logical. Why is it the goal?"
In order to have real teamwork on any need, you need alignment between the team's topmost goal and mission and your team members' activities and conversations on the ground.
Here are ten characteristics of real team players -- people who help their teams win in the working world, in sports and in every other human endeavor.
Ten Characteristics of Real Team Players
They understand the team's goals. They know how their role supports the team's goals. They don't blindly follow orders because somebody told them to.
They help and encourage their teammates. They don't hog the credit for team wins. However, if the team is struggling, they don't keep their mouth shut about the problems they see only in order to avoid making waves. They tell the truth, even when the coach or someone else doesn't want to hear it (especially then)!
They are honest with their teammates, their leaders and themselves. If one of their ideas is unpopular, they don't abandon it to fit in with everybody else's ideas.
They keep their commitments. A real team player communicates their own expectations and clarifies other people's expectations of them.
They deliver good news and bad news when it is appropriate to do so. They don't hide bad news or ignore it only to avoid telling somebody what they aren't ready to hear.
They don't assume that their coach has all the answers, but they don't talk about the coach or anybody else behind their backs. If they don't respect the leadership of the organization they work or play for, they move to another organization. They don't waste energy and bring their teammates down by complaining.
They set boundaries. Because they keep their commitments, they are comfortable saying "I won't be reachable at all this weekend" or "I will look over your report in the morning -- I have to get going now to catch my train."
If they run into a conflict with anyone on the team, they address it. They get issues out on the table and dealt with.
They value their teammates' contributions and their own.
They grow their muscles and their mojo all the time and help their teammates do the same.
Don't let anyone tell you that being a team player means forgetting your own needs or going along with the party line when you don't believe it. You don't support or help your team in any way when you bite your lip instead of talking about an issue that desperately needs airtime.
It's not always easy to be a real team player, or to name the elephant in the room when everybody else wants to pretend there is no elephant.
You will grow your flame and help your team win when you name the elephant -- and every other time you bring your heart and sturdy gut to work with you.
Pass this advice to your friends. Share with them.
There are motifs in the working world that we have heard so many times we don't think about them anymore. We think these motifs or themes are unassailable, like motherhood and apple pie.
One of the sturdiest and most unassailable themes in the business world is 'teamwork.' We all want to be great team players. We don't want to let down the team. We've been taught since we were tiny children that being a team player is the only way to be.
Very often, it isn't true.
Fearful managers will say "You're letting down the team!" when they really want to say "You have to do this thing I want you to do, and the best way for me to pressure you into doing it is to tell you that the team is relying on you and you're in danger of letting them down."
Teamwork can mean collaboration and mutual reinforcement, or it can mean keeping silent when you want to speak, so as not to stand out from the crowd.
Teamwork can mean helping someone achieve an ambitious goal, or it can mean telling them "That goal doesn't seem logical. Why is it the goal?"
In order to have real teamwork on any need, you need alignment between the team's topmost goal and mission and your team members' activities and conversations on the ground.
Here are ten characteristics of real team players -- people who help their teams win in the working world, in sports and in every other human endeavor.
Ten Characteristics of Real Team Players
They understand the team's goals. They know how their role supports the team's goals. They don't blindly follow orders because somebody told them to.
They help and encourage their teammates. They don't hog the credit for team wins. However, if the team is struggling, they don't keep their mouth shut about the problems they see only in order to avoid making waves. They tell the truth, even when the coach or someone else doesn't want to hear it (especially then)!
They are honest with their teammates, their leaders and themselves. If one of their ideas is unpopular, they don't abandon it to fit in with everybody else's ideas.
They keep their commitments. A real team player communicates their own expectations and clarifies other people's expectations of them.
They deliver good news and bad news when it is appropriate to do so. They don't hide bad news or ignore it only to avoid telling somebody what they aren't ready to hear.
They don't assume that their coach has all the answers, but they don't talk about the coach or anybody else behind their backs. If they don't respect the leadership of the organization they work or play for, they move to another organization. They don't waste energy and bring their teammates down by complaining.
They set boundaries. Because they keep their commitments, they are comfortable saying "I won't be reachable at all this weekend" or "I will look over your report in the morning -- I have to get going now to catch my train."
If they run into a conflict with anyone on the team, they address it. They get issues out on the table and dealt with.
They value their teammates' contributions and their own.
They grow their muscles and their mojo all the time and help their teammates do the same.
Don't let anyone tell you that being a team player means forgetting your own needs or going along with the party line when you don't believe it. You don't support or help your team in any way when you bite your lip instead of talking about an issue that desperately needs airtime.
It's not always easy to be a real team player, or to name the elephant in the room when everybody else wants to pretend there is no elephant.
You will grow your flame and help your team win when you name the elephant -- and every other time you bring your heart and sturdy gut to work with you.
Pass this advice to your friends. Share with them.
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