How Do You Ensure You Work Well in a Team?

If so, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we will explore how to work well with others and be a valuable contributor in any employment position.

It can sometimes be difficult to know what to do to stand out as a great team player, but don’t worry, we have all the tips you need right here!

Wow, The Team Vibes Are Amazing

It’s a great feeling to be a member of an outstanding group, doing high-quality work. Do you know the vibe? When your team is in the zone, it’s like being top of a league table at a national sport.

It’s a delicious cocktail of emotions: excited, challenged, safe, and successful. You’re enthusiastic about getting up in the morning and energized throughout the day. But getting to that place is not an easy path.

Don’t Be A Solo Star Player

Well, surprisingly the key to you working well in a team might be you not being a star performer.

Positive Psychology explains the value of teamwork is greater than the value of one particularly gifted individual and uses a study about heart surgeons as an example.

The study’s authors, Gary Pisano and Robert Huckman from Harvard Business School, debunked the notion of freelancing superstar surgeons being the best choice for people in need of cardiac surgery. The existing practice of flying rockstar surgeons all over the world to do heart transplants on wealthy patients has become the norm, but should it be?

They discovered that patient survival rates were compelling when they looked at the outcomes of over 200 cardiac surgeons working in 43 different hospitals.

The researchers found that the success rates of individual heart specialists improved with time and experience — but only at the hospitals where they spent most of their time. When the same surgeons switched to work for different hospitals, their performance rates reverted to normal levels.

They were no longer star players when they weren’t in the teams that supported them.

This research suggests that working in a bonded team of co-workers may help you develop interactive routines that exploit and enhance each team member’s unique talents.

So, What Can You Do To Help Your Co-workers Be Star Players?

You probably want to be the best team player you can be. That’s great! But let’s flip this for a second, because the best way to achieve that goal is to help all your teammates be the best team players they can be. Here’s how!

Be Reliable

If you’re looking to work well with others, start by showing up. This means being respectful of your co-workers, coming to work on time, and being prepared.

Do your best to contribute positively to the team. People will rarely recognize that someone is always on time, but they are quick to notice when someone is always late and it can affect team morale.

Get to Know Your Co-workers

Getting to know your co-workers on a personal level can help you better understand their strengths and weaknesses, which can then help you work better with them. Try to take some time out of each day to chat with your co-workers about things other than work and ask them about their hobbies and interests.

You don’t have to become their best friend but knowing their likes and dislikes will help you to be sensitive when you communicate with them. It will also equip you to ask them for help when you need a hand with something they’re great at.

Respect Different Perspectives

When working in a team, it’s important to respect the different perspectives of your co-workers.

Everyone has their way of looking at things, and even if you don’t agree with them, it’s important to listen to what they have to say. This will help you better understand their point of view and come up with solutions that everyone can agree on.

Cooperate and Communicate

One of the most important things you can do to work well in a team is to cooperate and communicate with your co-workers.

This means working together towards common goals, sharing information, and keeping other people informed about anything that could impact their work. It also means being open to feedback and communicating effectively both verbally and nonverbally.

Be Flexible

In any workplace, things are bound to change regularly. As a team member, it’s important to be flexible and adaptable to these changes.

This means being willing to work overtime when needed, changing your plans if necessary, and doing whatever it takes to help the team succeed. Keep your mental health and schedule in mind though and be honest if there’s too much work or you need help.

Be Comfortable with Ambiguity

Sometimes there’s no clear answer to a question that is on everyone’s mind. It can be upsetting to feel like there’s been unclear communication from a client or a senior colleague, or that a business issue has no clear solution.

But it’s important to stay calm and be patient. Another way to put this is: to cultivate your comfort with ambiguity. Google recruitment teams list being comfortable with ambiguity as a required skill for potential new hires in every employment position.

It’s the difference between saying: ‘I don’t understand, that makes no sense!’ And, getting angry or upset and shrugging, waiting patiently, and accepting that the answer or solution is somewhere around the corner.

How Do You Ensure You Work Well in a Team?

So, how do you ensure you work well in a team? Assist your co-workers in becoming the best team members they can be.

Develop a professional and trustworthy reputation. Know them on a personal level, appreciate their varied viewpoints, work collaboratively and effectively with them, and be adaptable and calm when things are uncertain. Keep these tips in mind, you’re sure to be a valuable team member! Looking for a new job in Melbourne? Contact us now. We’re happy to help you search for your next role.

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