Put Your Best “I” In Team: How to Be a Great Team Member Part II

In Part I, we discussed the first five steps to becoming the perfect team member. Remember, successful companies are not created overnight. However, successful businesses are created by hard-working, determined, passionate people who are able to recognize their strengths and weakness and can work on themselves for the betterment of the company.

Dale Carnegie once said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” Do not allow failures to set you back in your journey toward success and becoming an essential part of your company’s team.  Use the following tips to become an even better team member.

1.   Grab Your Priorities & Put Them In Their Place

Being a member of a team means you must be able to shift priorities to accommodate your team as well as your work. You must be able to efficiently prioritize your tasks to ensure all of your work gets completed at the appropriate time. Be open to re-organizing your plans to benefit the team. Other members of the team respect and understand shifting priorities when you explain them thoughtfully and honestly.

 Tip: Keep an updated planner. Whether your planner is paper or online, keeping your tasks all in one place will help you keep track of when things are due and will assist you in prioritizing them.

2.   Solve Problems Then and There

Procrastination undermines effective teamwork. Procrastination only opens the gates for bigger problems. As stressful as a problem may seem, not immediately looking for a solution will only make matters worse. Your entire team will feel the effects of these issues. Your team members will definitely appreciate your determination to resolve problems quickly as it will increase the efficiency of the entire team.

 Tip: Remind yourself that small problems can quickly snowball into even bigger problems. Utilize all of your resources, problem solve with team members, to resolve them as quickly as possible.

3.   Love Your Job

Sure the words “job” and “work” are synonymous, and work does not quite have a positive connotation, but you can still love your job. If you enjoy what you are doing it will show in your work and your everyday attitude. Your positive outlook can greatly affect your team.

Tip: Utilize your resources to make your job as enjoyable as possible. Staying organized will assist you in not becoming overwhelmed with work. Put enthusiasm into everything you do. Only you can control your mood!

4.   Expect ingratitude

In today’s professional work environment, everyone is expected to work hard and produce exceptional work. After all, this is what you were hired for. There will not always be someone telling you what a great job you are doing.  In fact, many people may not fully appreciate how much work you do to further the team effort.  Waiting for compliments can be an exercise in frustration.  When you don’t expect gratitude, it means even more when you get it.

Tip: Learn to pat yourself on the back. Remember: your company’s success is due to the great work you have done. Think of all of your team’s successes as a job well done on your part.

5.   Don’t Be Fussy

Keeping things in perspective is important not only at your job, but in life in general. Life is short, and the work day is even shorter, so getting worked up over insignificant issues will make you less efficient and less productive. As a team professional, sort out the important concerns from the unimportant ones, and avoid wasting time.

Tip: If you find yourself getting worked up take a few seconds and walk outside and get some fresh air, take a few deep breaths, or grab your handy stress ball. The seconds used to relax and resort your thoughts is well worth the amount of stress and wasted hours you would use by letting insignificant issues take over your day.

Believe it or not, the succes of your company and team rests on your shoulders. Sincerely work on the tips above and watch yourself, and your company, progress!