Secrets of Great Team Members

Working with a group of colleagues can be fun as teams become infused with camaraderie and a shared sense of mission. But being a group participant can also be challenging, especially for technology workers whose interactions are often focused on a computer screen. Nonetheless, the ability to collaborate with others is an essential skill in the IT world. Here are some of the secrets of great team members:

They check their egos at the door. No one wants to be on a team with someone who considers himself the smartest person in the room. Teams are brought together, after all, because organizations need people who can bring a mix of skills and strengths to bear on solving a problem. If you’re really the smartest person in the room, your teammates will discover that soon enough on their own.

They’re flexible. You’ve probably heard the saying that there’s no “I” in team. Once you become part of a work group, you have to shift your thinking from being self-focused to concentrating on what’s best for the collection of people you’re now working alongside. This means temporarily setting aside your preferred modes of operating and adopting the rules.

They’re good with constructive criticism. Rather than becoming defensive, successful team members understand that useful critiques are an opportunity to improve the end product, and that goes for whether they are giving or receiving constructive criticism. They accept input with an open mind and are willing to explore alternative solutions. Likewise, when they must offer critiques to others, they do so in a direct and respectful manner that inspires others to want to revisit and improve their work.

They’re all in. Too often, professionals hide behind the shield of a team. They may not take the responsibility they should – or would – if they alone were responsible for the outcome of a project. But the best team members are as serious about their shared responsibilities as they are about their individual ones.They’re not passive participants, and they come to meetings having done what they said they would at the end of the last one. They don’t relegate the team’s needs to the back burner while they pursue individual initiatives. 

They go with the flow. Working with a group of people means that everything isn’t always going to proceed smoothly. Setbacks will occur, goals will be altered and the team may have to occasionally change directions. Rather than letting these hiccups discourage you and using them as an excuse to lessen your commitment, accept that things can change quickly. Stay focused on what the team — and you — need to do to get back on track and address the challenge at hand.