Seven Ways To Be An Optimal Team Player

More than ever, it's evident that teamwork is important and workers worldwide need to collaborate on a daily basis. Looking to participate? In order to increase your own productivity levels, you have to be a collaborative team player and aim to help others in your quest.

To be a leader and team player, you have to be capable of working with a diverse network of people. Teamwork isn't just good for company morale during these difficult times but it also sets you up for greater success at your current job. Teamwork brings different points of view together and allows for creativity to thrive. You also have reliable people that you can reach out to for support, which means that there is less personal responsibility required.

What’s the best way to go about working with other professionals? Check out these seven ways to be an optimal team player.

1. Meet All Project Deadlines

To earn your coworkers' trust, you have to be someone that they can count on. You want to establish yourself as reliable, i.e. someone who produces a high caliber of work in a timely fashion in order to meet deadlines. Staying true to your word is pertinent during group collaborations. If you miss a deadline, it can ultimately affect the outcome for the entire team.

2. Remain Open

Being an integral part of a team is remaining open to other people's input. That means focusing on your listening skills and accepting criticism from your co-workers. For instance, after completing a group assignment, you can ask your peers for suggestions on how to improve your approach on your next project.

3. Be Appreciative Regarding Other People's Work Styles

Strategizing on how you can work well with a variety of people can be challenging in today's diverse workforce. Making an effort to understand how each of your colleagues works can help you become a better team player. By tailoring your communication style towards different personalities, it can help you avoid problems with co-workers and collaborate more efficiently. 

4. Adapt More Readily

Keep in mind that not all work that you do is going to result in praise as there will be your fair share of mishaps. If you get upset it prohibits any progress that you’ve made so far in your journey. Flexibility will be one of your key traits as a team player. So the next time you come across a problem, make sure you respond with care. 

5. Avoiding Any Office Politics

Strong teamwork compatibility is important for a healthy work culture. Office politics can create a toxic work environment—even when you're working remotely—but you don't have to be a part of it. Stay out of the rumor mill. In order to achieve this, I always treat my coworkers with dignity and respect. If you have a specific issue with a coworker, try to address it with the person directly before bringing it to upper management.

6. Focusing on the Shared Team Goals

You always want to distinguish yourself as a top performer. However it's still important to focus on the long term outlook when collaborating on a group project. At the heart of being a team player is being willing to put the team's interests above your own. 

7. Celebrate Your Peers' Achievements

One of the easiest ways to build great relationships with coworkers is to give credit when and where it's due. Team players are humble and these types of people have no problem pointing out the contributions of others. They look to share credit while emphasizing the team over themselves and defining success collectively rather than individually. At your next department meeting, take a minute to publicly thank that coworker for helping you put together last week's client presentation. By celebrating a coworker's success, the other person will most likely do the same for you at some point.