What does being a team player mean?

by Daniela Camargo-Gutierrez

For a while now, I've been asking myself if I have the correct concept of being a team player and what it means to be one and work within a team. I searched for definitions and quotes, and one of the best explanations of teamwork is a quote by Vince Lombardi, one of the best American football coaches ever: "Teamwork is the individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes the teamwork, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."

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Team players do teamwork; if you are not a team player, you will not succeed. Many people think they are "team players" because they are friendly and pleasant to their coworkers or have worked for many years in the same company. However, that's not necessarily because they are team players; they could have other traits that have maintained them there. Many don't even know what the concept means; some of the reasons could be the familiarity of having only worked at one place in their lives, they have yet to experience working with different cultures, other people, other industries, or even working with various types of leaders.

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How do you identify these people in the company you work at or even in your own company? It's easy, they are—The Complainers. You ask them to work with you on a project or to give you a hand, and they will provide you with "the perfect reason," according to them, for why they can't help you. Most of their reasons are just tantrums because things are not being done the way they think they should. According to Mark McPherson from Workplace Harmony, an Australian HR and behaviour consultant, the tantrum-thrower is #46 of 52 types of difficult people in a workplace.

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A team player is a person who is ready to help you out, no matter your role in the company or for how long you have been working there. Before you ask them to help you, they approach you without expecting it and say, "Hey! How can I be of help?" They have the "let's do this" attitude so things can improve or at least because 'we are trying.'

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A real team player is a leader on their own, not looking for notoriety but looking to help others meet their goals so they can meet their goals too by collaborating; they are not looking for the recognition of anyone. At the end of the day, they did well by assisting their coworkers in achieving their goals through teamwork, and they know they will receive the same in return; of course, there will always be people who take advantage of your good intentions, but we are not bringing those people into the conversation right now.

It's not only in the professional area that you need to be a team player to succeed; even in a relationship with your significant other, you must be a team player! Because we are married or in a romantic partnership with someone, we also must work as a team to succeed. But if you don't know how to do it, and you always want things to go your way instead of meeting in the middle and getting to a consensus, a breakup is sure to be around the corner. In any relationship, friendship, family, etc… the same deal goes: be a team player, and you will undoubtedly smile more and maintain your relationships on the positive side of life. Remember, you can have different opinions or disagreements, but a team player always meets in the middle.

"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" - Henry Ford.

Team players try to work with others to meet each other's goals and, ultimately, the company's objectives. If the company achieves its goals, everybody in it succeeds!

As a word of advice for those who don't know how or don't want to be team players (because yes, there are people who don't want to), I have some advice so you can learn what being a team player and working as a team is all about:

First, ask yourself why? Why don't you want to be a team player? Is there something in the company you are working at that makes you feel this way? Is it because you "know" more than everybody else? Or is it something personally rooted in you that has to do with the professional career goals you haven't met? Is it because you think you know what others should be doing and can do it better? or is it because you don't know how to be a team player? The most important thing is to be HONEST with yourself when you respond to your why; that is the only way you can get to the root of the problem.

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1. Identify the root of the problem. If the root of the situation is because you have a problem with the decisions your company has made lately, remember that no one is indispensable, and what you need to do is what has been asked of you to do, which is why they pay you. Remember, this is not your company. I know it sounds cold, but that is the reality. It's not a popularity contest! You don't have to like your boss or vice versa, which can be frustrating sometimes. Believe me, I've been there. However, the company pays you to do a specific job, so together with other employees, you get results, which is why the company you work for has leaders. You might not like them or disagree with them, but they are there to guide you, whether they are directors, managers, supervisors, or have other titles in the company you work for.

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Those of us who have decided to work for someone else's company need to understand that we are there because they selected us from a large pool of candidates for the job they hired us to do. We can decide to feel unique or used; that's up to each of us. After all, we were the best option to get results; that's it, not because of our beautiful faces. So, chin up, stop the tantrums, change your attitude, be a team player, let your leaders guide you, and bring results.

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Yes, I have thrown tantrums myself. I am not free of sin, and I might even have been annoying to my bosses or coworkers during my professional career, but there is something that comes with age that makes you understand the reasons. No, it is not maturity (that might never come for some of us); it's about humility and gratitude.

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2. Don't assume you know what others should be doing. It would help if you refrained from assuming what other coworkers do or what you think they should do. They were hired by an HR expert who knew they had the skills, experience, and knowledge to do the job they are doing (especially in developed countries, yes, unfortunately, third-world countries are another story). Instead, it would help if you were interested in asking your coworkers about their tasks and how you can help them meet their goals. If you can't handle this and can't change your attitude toward being a team player, well, in that case, you have another excellent option that will force you to finally understand what being a team player is all about:

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3. Be an Entrepreneur. Being an entrepreneur is the best way to learn how to be a team player because you will need to hire employees for your company. You will choose the best candidates to bring results to the table, and for that, you will need these people to be team players and work together for the benefit of you and your company, including working with you.

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It is good to analyze from time to time whether we are team players at the company we work at, whether we occasionally throw tantrums, or whether, by not being team players, we are making someone else's job more difficult than it should be. Remember, you are being paid to bring results, work with others, bring ideas to the table, and not force your ideas. So, make your job and everybody else's job more accessible, and be a team player!

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Being grateful and humble will bring you more satisfaction when you work as a team. This will allow you to keep learning from your coworkers, both older and younger than you. Increasing your knowledge is one of the best perks of being a team player!

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Today, ask yourself: Am I a team player or a tantrum-thrower?