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Teams create team synergy when each team member contributes their talents without showing off. Show-offs seem more interested in getting attention and praise than helping the team succeed. Yet, hiding your talents to avoid being a show-off keeps the team from its full potential. So go ahead and contribute your talents for team synergy and success. Here’s how to do it without being a show-off!

Team Synergy: How to Contribute Your Talents w/o Showing Off. Image by Alpha Photo via Flickr Creative Commons License.

Image by Alpha Photo via Flickr Creative Commons License.

Team Synergy: Contributing Your Talents w/o Showing Off

1. Recognize and applaud other’s talents. If their ideas spur new ideas in you, tell them. When their natural collaborative style gives the team a boost, say so. Showing appreciation for other’s talents prevents you from looking egotistical.

2. Listen and watch teammates’ reactions when you contribute your natural talents. If they pull back or seem put off, ask them how you came across to them.

3. Be open, learn, and adapt. It doesn’t mean you have to stop contributing your talents. You may only need to tweak how you do it.

4. Be willing to share your talents without taking control of everything. Don’t criticize other’s perspectives when you disagree. Engage them in discussion. You create team synergy through exploration of ideas vs. criticizing and trying to win an argument.




Show How Your Talents Benefit Teammates

5. Show them how your talents make their lives easier. Example: On a healthcare team, there was one team member who was great at finding veins for IVs. In this particular case, the other team members couldn’t find a vein in the patient’s hand. Instead of punishing the patient with pain, they said “go get Christa. She can find a vein in anybody!” When Christa came in, she said, “Ooh I love doing veins. This is a nice break from working in recovery.” Everyone including the patient chuckled. Christa did not show off and her talent didn’t offend her teammates. She put the IV in more quickly and more easily and everyone benefited.

6. Call on other’s talents when the project team needs them. If the project team you are on needs certain talents you and other project members don’t have, invite others to join and contribute. You may need to ask them and management if it’s OK before you do it. Yet it any case, you will show your commitment to team synergy and success.

7. When you are contributing your talent, state the you believe it will help the team. Example: If you have tremendous knowledge or a strong memory, you can either seem like a know-it-all when you contribute or true team player. So explain your intent up front (e.g. helping the team) so other’s will clearly see your value from the start.

Team Synergy: Show Value Don’t Show Off!

To do this, of course, you need to identify your natural talents that contribute to team success. Otherwise you run the risk of feeling inadequate on the team. If that turns into jealousy of other teammates, team synergy is going to take a hit.

To help you get started, here’s a list of 25 natural talents. As you read through this list, remember to identify your teammates’ talents too.

Related Post:
Leaders, How to Discover Your Employees’ Natural Talents

©2023 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.

Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.

Tags: collaboration, communication, contributions, emotional intelligence, people skills, share, strengths, success, synergy, talents, teammates, Teamwork, unique