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Every organization requires its employees to work together as a team to achieve its goals. It is possible to have different individuals working together in a group. But they must be team-oriented because effective teamwork depends on the character traits of a good team member.
What makes a good team member?
In general, what makes a good team member is the temperament to succeed in a team environment. A good team member puts the team first which means the person prioritises team success at the expense of personal achievements.
What determines a good team member is how well you can work with others, not whether you have anyone particular skill. Your skills or talent alone do not make you a good team member, it is the content of your character that determines whether you are a good team-oriented member.
For example, someone with excellent technical skills might not fit in a team if that person does not work well with others or cannot share information.
On the other hand, someone who is great at working with others might not have the same level of technical expertise but could still be an asset to the team if they can learn new things and contribute in other ways.
Yes, a good team member must bring value to the group. But still, you need to work well with the other team members, if you don’t, there will not be a good synergy in the team.
What are the qualities of a good team member?
Here are 14 character traits of a good team member:
1. Having an identity
A good team member should have an identity. To develop a personality at work, they must align their goals with team goals, have a sense of belonging, and improve the ability to adapt.
When a team member has an identity within a team, they will always be willing to do what is best for all team members. They will not prioritize their well-being at the expense of the team’s success.
2. Being committed
A good team member must have a genuine commitment to their team cause. Also, the person must show interest and belief in their colleagues and consider them equals.
Good team members looking towards working effectively in a team should strive to make every member of their groups better each day. They are committed to the team’s cause and in ensuring they add value to it.
Read also: 16 Examples of Taking Responsibility at Work
3. Being flexible
When it comes to teamwork, flexibility is vital. It ensures that each member is working well in a team. Teamwork requires personal sacrifice and accommodating divergent views that you might not agree with within the team.
Flexibility among team members makes it easy for the team to address any disagreements that might arise. A fantastic team player will always want to participate in an activity, even if they might not know how to navigate it.
Their flexibility is shown when faced with difficult situations, and they deal with them without showing signs of pressure or stress.
4. You are humble
When working with other team members, a team-oriented employee to be humble. You need to acknowledge your mistakes and work toward correcting them. Being humble also requires that you appreciate the efforts of your teammates. And you must always take full accountability and responsibility for your actions.
5. An effective communicator
One of the qualities of a good team member is their ability to communicate well with your teammates. To work well with others in a team you must share the necessary information at the right time. Being an effective communicator also means you’re a good listener who allows others to talk without interrupting them.
Effective communication is vital to successful teamwork and it plays a big part in creating and maintaining a culture of openness within the team. It also helps individuals to dialogue with others and solves any problems that might arise.
A good team player knows to ask questions wherever necessary and provides relevant information wherever required.
6. A consistent performer
For a team to achieve success, every member must fulfill their responsibility and do whatever they can and complete the work on time. In other words, each member should work towards helping the team achieve its goals.
A good performer is a valued member who can take on the extra responsibility of ensuring that the team gets the results everyone needs. However, being a performer does not mean you are automatically a good team player.
You become good when you perform in a positive way that contributes to team success.
7. Being objective
A good team player must have an open mind, and should not be judgemental. Every team is just a group of individuals with different ways of looking at things. Each member can have their objectives and use them for the benefit of the team.
When each person knows what they want to achieve, it is easier for the team to succeed. Being objective makes it easier for one to play a critical role in the team’s success.
Read also: 16 Character Traits of a Hard Worker
8. Always motivated
For a team to be successful, each member must remain motivated. When everyone is motivated, they will always find a reason to work for the team. A good team member is always eager to do some work. They report to work and do their best to finish the work on time and meet deadlines.
Motivation is one of the teamwork traits employers look for in prospective employees. When a team member is demotivated all the time, they don’t give their best, which always affect the team’s productivity.
9. You’re reliable
A valuable team member should be reliable. Everyone wants to work with someone you can rely upon to finish tasks or to seek help from. You may have the skills and knowledge to do the job today and relax tomorrow.
So, if your contribution and output fluctuate from time to time, you’re not reliable. A good team member gets the job done and is consistent every day. A dependable person provides teammates with the peace of mind knowing the work can be done regardless of the situation.
10. Truthful and honesty
Being honest means you are openly fair, just, and you take responsibility for your action. A good team member must be honest about every aspect of their job. For the team to achieve success, each team member must be truthful, sincere, trustworthy to themselves and their teammates.
An honest team member will always acknowledge their mistakes or when they are in the wrong. Honesty helps teams to prevent individual mistakes from becoming group failures.
11. Having a positive attitude
A good team member must be positive. Having a positive attitude means you are optimistic about something constructive, regardless of the circumstances. A positive team member inspires others to take on daunting work challenges.
Nothing can stop a team full of positive employees to achieve whatever results they want.
No one wants to work with a teammate who complains a lot and is always pessimistic. If you have a negative attitude, it can affect negatively on the team’s performance. It can also destroy others’ motivation.
Read also: 13 Examples of Good Work Ethic
12. Emphatic
Being emphatic means treating other people as you would like to be treated. Your colleagues will treat you with dignity only when you respect them. A good team member is always sensitive to the feelings of other members.
An emphatic member always respects others’ viewpoints even when they disagree. Someone can still try to change others’ perspectives, but they must do it with humility.
13. Being confident
One of the best qualities of a good team member is confidence. Confidence is a unique attribute that propels teams into success. Great team players have confidence in themselves and their teammates.
Many people at workplaces prefer working with confident workers rather than shy ones. Courage does not mean being arrogant and rude. It means having the positive energy required to push other members at work to achieve their full potential.
Confident workmates enjoy offering compliments to colleagues to improve their mood and make them feel better. They feel threatened by the success of their team members, but see it as inspirational.
A good team player is always confident about their ability to do things and do not seek others’ validation to achieve their full potential.
14. Can multitask
One of the qualities of a good team member is the ability to multitask. They can focus on different projects without being distracted. The ability to multitask effectively allows team players to concentrate on their work and check out on others.
Multitasking makes it easy for a team member to play their part in ensuring the team’s success.
Conclusion
It is the content of your character traits that determines whether you are a good team member or not. A good team member always works for the benefit of the team. Personal glorification and success don’t come at the expense of team success.
