How to be a TEAM Player

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By msfaithlovelife
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be a TEAM Player

One of the biggest keys to success is being a TEAM player. Look at your own life what teams are you involved in. It may be an athletic training team, family, football team, the plaintiff’s team, construction team and religious team. Whether it is a sports team, marriage, your department at work, people are put together to make things happen. Being a team player can make or break your situation, so test yourself on this cluster of concepts.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Patience

Step 1

1. Trust. Trust is having confidence that your team member/members intentions are virtuous. There is no reason to build a wall or have your guard up. This only denotes healthy discussion. You must be willing to allow yourself to be exposed, genuine and open with one another. Be an active sharer, active listener and active team member. Lay your weakness and strengths on the table, so the team can build and begin to compliment each other. Building a strong foundation that will not crack with the first sign of difference, struggle, or crisis.
Step 2

2. If you do not have trust you cannot have conflict. Teams that cannot engage in passionate debate can never reach maximum potential and end up being stall mated. Having guarded comments or just a group of people all agreeing with no real growth. It tickles me how hard people try to avoid conflict especially at the work place. Please realize I am not referring to destructive fighting. Face each other and put your opinions/problems/ideas on the table.
Step 3

3. Accountability. I wish this could be first, because it seems to me that accountability is one of the biggest problems when you put a group of people together. First if you are not committed, how can you be accountable? Then if you do not trust your fellow comrades, spouse, or co-workers why/how can you genuinely commit to a new proposal, goal and plan. Accountability is also being held responsible for your duty to act or not act. Admitting to your teammates “Yes I was late.” “I forgot” “I need help” “I bungled” “I am reliable/responsible” The will increase their trust in you as long as you follow through with a change in your behavior.
Step 4

4. With out healthy conflict people with not commit. Who wants to commit to something they have not shared their opinion on? No one. From trust, active/genuine discussion comes commitment of decisions, feelings and agreement.
Step 5

5. Energy direction and ability to change. It goes with out saying that you need the energy to be of any help in a team. If you are spread to thin you must make sacrifices for the teams you want to participate in. If you are career or family oriented, you must be able to be honest with yourself first. What do you want to partake in? Do I want to give my energies to the purpose, goal or mission of this team? Once you make that decision, you must appropriately divert your energy in that direction. Once in a team be flexible, understanding. If you give, other give and a win-win situation will occur.
Step 6

6. Finally we all want results in life. If you were/are dating someone for a significant amount of time the next step would be marriage. If you go to school the result should be a certification or diploma. If your organization is going through accreditation, change etc you want the end product to not just “BE” but to be a success/perfection/fulfilled. However if you have not instilled the above key terms inattention to results will cause failure. Individuals need to put their needs to the side (ego, recognition, grass is greener mentality) of the collective goals of the team.

Comments

mitchpiotrowski said

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on 11/9/2009 I'm rather confused about the fifth and sixth steps. Are you saying that the energy you output needs to be beneficial to the whole team? Or is it saying that you have to be 100% able to do your job the whole time?
As for the sixth, are you saying that the only way teams will succeed is if they see results?