How to Increase Your Skills to Work in a Team
Teams may be created to deliver a specific project or to work together on a long-term basis. Either way, if you show you can work well with others, this may boost your career.
How to Increase Your Skills to Work in a Team
As a valuable team member, you may be invited to apply your strengths in other settings, and you never know what possibilities this could open up to you. Here are some way to increase your ability to work in a team.
Understand your strengths
A team is more successful if members tap into one another’s strengths. This often increases productivity and creates the collaboration necessary to move a project forward. Are you good at motivating others? Do you come up with creative ideas? Perhaps you are better at analyzing other people’s ideas. Do you excel at helping to resolve disagreements? Are you very organized? Do you have specialist knowledge that can get the job done? Perhaps you have the perseverance to see a project through to the end. Focusing on your strengths is also more satisfying and allows you to excel.
Understand team objectives
If you want to work effectively in a team, you must understand the goals of the team. You need to know what you are hoping to accomplish and be absolutely clear about deadlines, budget, and all other related factors.
Communicate well
If you sit listening to someone else’s idea, realize exactly why it wouldn’t work and don’t express your objections, you could affect the outcomes for the whole team. If you have an alternative suggestion, you must feel free to share it. You should express your appreciation for the good ideas of other team members but also challenge them when you disagree.
Remain respectful and positive at all times, even when you disagree. An angry and upset team member who has allowed negative emotions to take control can derail teamwork.
Be Flexible
Within a team context, changes can occur speedily. The goalposts may be moved, team members may leave, and budgets may be reduced. As a team member, you can’t afford to fight changes but need to see them as a challenge and an opportunity for growth. A willingness to remain positive and flexible in a rapidly changing environment is a great asset.
Be Reliable
You shouldn’t ever make promises you can’t keep. If you constantly do not deliver on what you said you would do, your whole team will suffer. If you make a promise to complete something by the end of the week, follow through on it, and team members will know they can rely on you.
Be a good collaborator
Always take your team members into consideration. If they are battling, your input could be exactly what they need. Other team members will appreciate the fact that you are there to support them and help them achieve their goals.
Accept the tough assignments
You don’t want to be known as the one who avoids tough assignments and only chooses ones that seem easier or offer more benefits. If you choose more difficult tasks and take challenges, it will pay off in the long run. Your positive attitude will be refreshing and can help others to stay productive.
