The ABCs of Being a Valuable Team Member
There may be no “me” in team, but there is in member… and if you want to be a valuable member of a team, you’re going to have to focus on how you interact with the other people in the group. If you don’t, they’ll be wishing you would take the ‘me’ out of member and find somewhere else to work. Whether in the workplace as a whole, or on a specific group project, being a team player is vital to making a positive impression on others, putting you in a better place than those who don’t play fair.
There are many different ways you can make yourself valuable to the team, and here are the ABCs of them. You don’t have to check off everything on the list; the benefit of a team is that each person will bring something to the table.
Availability: Make yourself available to others. Being a member of a team means that sometimes you have to be available to do the things you don’t necessarily want to do.
Brainstorming: If you’re good at coming up with ideas, you’ll be a great addition to any team that has a problem to solve. The ability to come up with fast ideas in a brainstorming session will set you apart.
Constructive: Not every idea will be good… if you’re able to offer constructive criticism to help improve upon an idea, your team will turn to you for suggestions.
Dependable: If you always follow through with what you say you’re going to do, and show up when you say you’re going to, your team will know that they can depend on you to get things done.
Efficient: Using your time wisely, and complete tasks correctly and quickly are a great benefit to offer a team. If you’re efficient, there will time for work and play, and your team will thank you for that.
Friendly: This should not need an explanation, but if you’re pleasant to your teammates, working with them will be a positive experience for all those involved.
Goal-Oriented: If you’re the type of person who sets your mind towards a goal, and doesn’t let anything get in your way, your team will look up to you when they need direction.
Hard-working: In the perfect world, every member of a team would be hard-working, but this isn’t often the case, making the hard workers a true prize to their team.
Informative: Providing information to the team can help make them more efficient as a whole, because setbacks due to misinformation will be eliminated.
Judicious: Every team needs a person who they know will have good judgment and lead them towards success.
Kind: Kindness can make any situation a lot smoother, especially when the going gets tough in a team oriented situation.
Level-headed: When tensions run high and stress in through the rough, the level headed team member is the one who can assess the situation and devise a plan to move forward.
Motivated: No one likes a slacker on the team. Be a person who has the motivation to keep working, even when they might not otherwise want to tackle a project.
New Ideas: Ideas can get stale, but if you have a fresh perspective you can be the person to being fresh ideas to the table, giving your teammates a new way to look at something.
Organized: Organization can help a team to stay focused, on schedule, and with tasks assigned to the best person for the job, ultimately improving efficiency and productivity.
Productive: Be the person on the team who makes things happen and produces quality contributions to the end product.
Quick: If you say you’re going to do something, that’s great, but if it isn’t done in a reasonable amount of time, you’re going to lose credibility with your team members. Be quick to remain valuable.
Reliable: Your team members need to know that they can count on you when you say you’re going to complete a task or attend a meeting, and doing so ensures you are a reliable member of the team.
Supportive: There are going to be times in a team setting where you are lacking direction, people are stressed, and nothing seems to go right. Being supportive of your team during these times makes you a valuable member.
Timely: Everyone hates waiting around for the last member of the team to show up, five, ten minutes late. Don’t be that person, be on time.
Useful: When a task needs to be completed, and no one is stepping up to the plate, be the person who is useful to have around. Your help will be appreciated making your contributions to the team valuable.
Valuable: Make yourself the person who the team doesn’t want to lose by offering a skill that no one else does, making you integral to their success.
Willing to Lend a Hand: If you see a team member struggling, offer to help them. Offer to bring coffee to the meeting or help unload a presentation. Your team will appreciate the assistance.
Xenial: Being hospitable to guests and those who are helping your team will make you a great addition, and leave a positive impression on not only your team but your peers as well.
Yielding: In a team setting, it can be hard to deal with many different ideas and perspectives coming together. Recognizing when it is okay to yield your idea in favor of a better idea will make your time better spent.
Zealous: Offering enthusiasm will help move the team forward towards the end with encouragement and energy. There are times the team will need zealousness to succeed.
Being a valuable team member means you can offer a trait that others don’t have, allowing you to fill in the blanks where they are lacking. Teams work best when different individuals bring different skills to the table, making the group a powerful unit that can tackle any problem that may arise.
About the Author
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