| Career Zone -- Let’s hear it for the team
AWWA Articles

Career Zone -- Let’s hear it for the team

By Stuart Karasik

Career ZoneDuring this time of unprecedented responses to address the coronavirus pandemic, we’re reminded that sometimes our individual ability to move forward is dependent on the success of a group – or in this case, the international community. Effective teamwork can make the difference between success and failure.

Fortunately, we don’t usually face such monumental challenges and uncertainty in our daily work. However, we should all recognize the importance of contributing as part of a team to accomplish what needs to be done.

Now, as we all adapt to new ways of doing things together while “social distancing,” it seems appropriate to consider how to best be a contributing team member in whatever changing work environment we’re experiencing.
Below are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Be ready, willing and able to play any role on a project that helps the team achieve its goals. You may not think you have the necessary knowledge, skills or abilities, but your co-workers value your contributions. You may even learn something or gain a new skill.
  2. The success of a team correlates directly with how much input each member provides. No need for prima donnas or wall flowers. Remember, it’s a team, and not all about you.
  3. When your team achieves its objective, congratulate your teammates first before taking any credit. Everybody worked hard, not just you. All too often in winning situations, those most involved congratulate and praise everyone else for their hard work and ignore the accomplishments of the core team.
  4. A high-performance team requires attention to detail, research, data collection and analysis, planning, and implementation. You aren’t an effective teammate if you only show up for the grand finale! Rehearsals are just as important. Abraham Lincoln once said, “in cutting down a tree, I spend 75 percent of my time sharpening the ax and 25 percent cutting.”
  5. Listen to others and be open to suggestions. Honest and constructive feedback is a gift to help you improve.
  6. Support those on your team who are having difficulty meeting their individual project goals. Everyone can benefit from someone willing to help out. And, on the other hand, if you need assistance, don’t be afraid to ask for and accept it.  
  7. Make sure to help your newest employees who are teammates. They may hold back because of their lack of experience or knowledge but they can add valuable perspectives.
  8. Grow from your mistakes as well as your successes. Failure can be a very effective teacher. Research has shown that people learn much more, and more effectively, from their failures than their successes.

Successful team members apply their different personalities and strengths -- even weaknesses and neuroses -- to fully invest in the team’s processes and goals. As Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager and a host of other leadership books, said, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

Stuart Karasik has spent most of his career in the human resources/personnel arena. He has a Ph.D. in education, a master’s in biology, and was previously the training program manager for the City of San Diego.

 

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