You may be thinking you are as good at your job as everyone else, but your co-workers and the boss still don’t see you as a reliable member of the team. The truth is sometimes people who think that they are good at their job are not. So, it is not about you thinking that you are a good team worker. It is about how you work and the way others think of your general attitude and contribution to the team performance.
What is a Team Worker?
A team worker is someone who focuses solely on working towards meeting the overall expectations of a team.
A good team worker understands the team dynamics, and that makes it easy to work well with others because regardless of their varying viewpoints, all team members must focus on the team’s common goal.
A good team worker is very supportive of other team members, respectful to everybody in the team, punctual at work, efficient at the job, proactive, and very hardworking.
Other qualities that make a good team worker include genuine concern for other team members, owning problems rather than blaming them on others, not engaging in competitive activities with fellow team workers.
So, The Following are other Characteristics that Make a Good Team Worker:
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1. Being a Hard Worker
One of the qualities that make a good team worker is their hard working attitude. Part of being a good team worker is demonstrating a strong work ethic and getting the work done as quickly as possible.
They drive themselves and always act when necessary. And they have an insatiable desire to get work done as quickly as possible. A good worker strives to provide the highest level of quality every day.
Also, good team workers don’t give in to tough questions. They are always looking for solutions to problems.
2. Respecting Others
If you want to be the best team worker, learn to respect. Respect does not mean to start greeting everybody and shaking hands with them.
Respect your work and everyone else’s work. Once you do that, people will trust you, and that will lead to a good relationship with everyone at work.
The key to being a good team worker is to respect both your work and everyone’s work equally.
Read more: How to be Proactive and Take Initiative at Work
3. Learning to Prioritise
A good team member manages the workload by keeping a priority list of all tasks, and that helps them in a big way. So, if you must do many things at the same time, you need to make a to-do list and prioritise your tasks according to their urgency or importance.
It is essential you don’t digress from that list. Make sure you follow your to-do list from the top and finish at the bottom. For every task you complete take it off the to-do list because this will encourage you to work faster.
4. Not Gossiping
Avoid Gossiping The first thing that a good team worker avoids at work is gossiping. It can be very tempting to discuss the personality, behavior, habits, personal life of colleagues.
Sometimes it may appear appropriate for you to give an opinion about something which is not work-related.
Well, don’t it. You must avoid gossiping at any cost because it is not productive and can lead to a conflict with your team colleagues.
If you want to be a good team worker, what you must do first and foremost avoid gossiping. If you do that, your team members will see you as a trustworthy colleague who doesn’t talk about people behind their backs.
Trust is one of the essential qualities of that make a good team worker.
5. Not Aggressive
It is not right to be aggressive in a teamwork environment. Great workers don’t let their emotions control the way they act in any situation. Even when things go wrong, a good team worker handles the situation calmly.
It is rare to see a good team worker talking over other people, storming out of a team meeting, or slamming the phone down on other people.
Also, a good worker does point fingers trying to blame fellow team workers, and the person does not shout or abuse others.
6. Not Complaining
Avoid complaining if you want to be a good team worker. No one wants to be in a team with people who complain and moan all day long. And complaining can be a sign of weakness and an overly sensitive person who feels hurt easily. People who complain are very annoying.
Complaining creates stress that is bad for your health. It is also bad for your career because you end up bringing negativity in your workplace. A good team worker who always commands the respect of others never complains.
Complaining creates negativity in the team and spoils team spirit. There is nothing positive to gain from complaining other than losing the respect of your work colleagues.
7. Being Unselfish
A good team worker cares and supports all team members to succeed. Good workers usually take on too much responsibility but still, they help team members for the good of the team.
What drives good team workers is the need to create value in several ways. So, instead of wasting time doing nothing, the team worker uses that time to help fellow team workers.
Good team workers don’t say things like that is not my job. For them, it is about the team, not individual gains so, they are team players.
8. Not Being Defensive
A good worker does not get defensive. It is easy to get defensive and sensitive when you get unpleasant feedback.
Many people get angry to hear things they don’t want to know about themselves. Sometimes it is understandable when they react with anger because people have pride. You must learn to control your ego if you want to become a good team worker.
If someone gives you feedback, that can be from your team leader, fellow team workers, or your manager, take it constructively.
Take the feedback as someone’s opinion about you. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you and become upset because that is unnecessary stress. And getting defensive only nest anger so, let your work speak for itself.
9. Appreciating Co-Workers
If you want to become a good team worker, learn to appreciate others. Appreciating others means lauding people like team members for whatever positive things they do for the team. In other words, you are acknowledging something your team colleagues have done that is worthy of praise.
The habit of appreciating others for their positive contribution can be learned by everyone in the team and become part of your workplace culture.
10. Showing Good Examples
A good team worker displays the best team behavior and it means being punctual, courteous, understanding, respectful, patient, efficient, and productive at work.
By working hard and using some of these traits, you can inspire your co-workers to emulate your behavior and work hard.
You will ultimately change your team culture at a fundamental level. And in no time, your team members will adopt your attitudes and behaviors, all necessary for building a good team culture.
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