A great teammate cares more than most people about accomplishing the team goal. They match the sense of urgency that the rest of the team has about improving and functioning better each day. Passion can be contagious and great teammates are not embarrassed to care about the details that will ensure success for the entire team. Teammates
Great teammates understand how they fit on the team. Both the leader and the rest of the team understand that they share responsibility and authority. Understanding the word “share” is key. A great teammate has an understanding of their current role and works hard to be a compliment the other roles on the team. There are always
A great work ethic is a basic attribute of a great teammate. When we are a part of a team, we have a responsibility to make a meaningful contribution to the team goals. Consistency and reliability build trust between teammates. Since we can only control our own actions, we have to work hard to do our part.
Fear is something everyone battles in the midst of trial and challenge. Teams exist to overcome trials and challenges so it is inevitable that a team will have to respond to fear. Everyone handles fear differently and an unhealthy response to fear can be contagious. To be a great teammate we must master our day-to-day fear because
I am responsible to do my part to create a healthy environment that embraces conflict on the team. I make the team better when I take responsibility for my own responses to my teammates. If I am too passive and avoid conflict, I will lose credibility and influence. People know when we say something different than what
I have a responsibility to my team to be the best I can be so that I can continue to contribute at a high level. Even if I am operating at a high level, I have to remember that I can become a victim of my own success. Today’s success will eventually be seen as the minimum
Anyone can cause a shift in team culture by focusing on being a better teammate themselves. This is not dependent upon the leader but the movement can affect the leader to be a better teammate as others lead up. Becoming an A-player will raise the bar and challenge the rest of the team to do the same.
When we become a better teammate, we will eventually attract who we are. When we improve, we will likely attract like-minded people to join the team. That can help create a team culture and ethos that improves as the overall team improves. We will still attract who we are if we don’t improve, but that won’t help
We have complete control over ourselves. We have a limited influence over our teammates. When we realize this, we can focus on self-reflection rather than the blame of others. The self-reflection of a teammate gives a better return on investment of time, energy, and brain space than blaming and finding fault of others.
The best way to improve a team is to be a better teammate. Focusing on being a great teammate is the most effective way to improve a team for a few reasons: 1) We can only completely control ourselves. 2) We attract who we are. 3) We don’t have to be a leader to change the culture