People move in and out of teams all the time. When new people come into a team how they are helped to become part of it is important to the on-going successful functioning of the team. It is not only the team manager’s role to ensure their positive engagement, but every team member’s as well. Here is checklist for you to use to check off what kind of a team member you are and how you can contribute to making your team great.

1. TEAM SPIRIT

This is about creating a spirit of generosity in the team.

• Be willing to help other team members.
• Be respectful towards and accept everyone’s differences.
• Show positive openness to, and intent towards, others.
• Be flexible, adaptable and co-operative when changes need to be made to team workloads to ensure good service to clients.
• Express gratitude to helpful team members.

2. GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEAM MEMBERS

This is all about being a team player.

• Make time to get to know team members.
• Welcome new team members and assist them to feel part of the team.
• Respond with grace to requests from team members for advice or help, even when it interrupts your work.
• Address difficulties or potential conflict with other team members directly and in an up-front way, rather than let it simmer inside you and potentially damage the relationship, even team morale.
• Celebrate team successes in fun ways.

3. COMMITMENT TO HIGH PERFORMANCE AS A TEAM MEMBER 

A. Be a Learner

In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves

perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists – Eric Hoffer

This is about seeking out people who are working at the cutting edge in your industry or professional sector, interacting with them either live or by video, podcasts, social media, the written word, exploring, searching, reflecting, discovering, being curious, wanting to know more about current trends in your industry and professional sector.

Build both your body of knowledge and the skills for implementing it for the care of your clients.

Take responsibility for your professional development, rather than leave it to your organisation.

B. Develop a Growth Mindset.

This is the mindset you bring to your work – the commitment to grow and learn and become the best practitioner you can be.

• It’s about accepting feedback with enthusiasm so you can grow and improve.
• It’s about the “Power of Yet”, what you can’t do “yet” but you know you will be able to do in the future because you are committed to making it happen.
• It’s about being pro-active, about being a “Can-Do” person.

People with a fixed mindset are reactive, want to remain the way they are, and resist change and personal growth. “I’ve been working this way for at least 15 years and no one has complained before.”

C. Be a Good Communicator.

This is about both verbal talk and listening. It sees you able to have quality conversations with your manager, colleagues and clients about your work.

• It’s about being able to reflect aloud.
• It’s about asking good questions.
• It’s about problem solving and problem posing.
• It’s about learning how to express yourself assertively, yet not aggressively when you feel strongly about something.
• It’s about listening to understand, not just to reply.

D. Focus on Your Self-Management Skills.

Work harder on yourself than you do on your job – Jim Rohn.

If you can’t manage yourself, you won’t be able to successfully manage others, your clients, your workload or your projects. The 5 most important are:

• Self-Awareness – being reflective about yourself and your relationship with others.
• Resilience in the face of the unexpected or any adversity.
• Emotional maturity and intelligence.
• Pro-activity rather than reactivity – being solution focused, a can-do person who is forward thinking.
• Work/Life Flow and Integration – the alternative to the outmoded concept of work/life balance.

4. BEING ACCOUNTABLE TO YOURSELF, THE TEAM AND THE ORGANISATION.

This is about taking seriously your commitment to the organisation for the performance of your work.

• It’s about working with your manager and other team members to achieve the goals of the organisation and your team.
• Most importantly it is about being accountable to yourself, becoming self-directive, acknowledging your challenges and working on them.
• It is about openly accepting feedback that will enhance your performance.
• It is about pro-actively seeking opportunities to improve and develop your skills and expertise.

In short, it is about accepting responsibility for the quality of your work and your professional development.