Teamwork Persona: Are You Someone Others Want to Work With? | #PeopleSkills
by Kate Nasser | 9 Comments »
Teamwork Persona: Do Others Want to Work With You?
Colonel Pamela Melroy, former NASA space shuttle commander, asked a very telling people skills teamwork persona question during her career mentoring talks at the space and science festival on the Intrepid Museum.
Do you think about this when you are at work? Young adults in school, new entrants into the workplace, or experienced workers changing careers, often overlook this teamwork persona question. They focus on developing occupational, technical and even leadership skills. Yet Colonel Melroy’s question refers to people skills and teamwork ability. Her point: It took more than science smarts to be in space with others.
Teamwork Persona: Are You Someone Others Want to Work With? Image by Creative Sustainability via Flickr.
Teamwork Persona: Are You Someone Others Will Want to Work With?
Start developing your teamwork persona early on and never stop. Your people skills and teamwork ability determine if others will want to work with you.
- Flexibility and affability. What behaviors do you exhibit that make it easy to get along with you? What traits or behaviors will you develop to make it even easier?
- Reliability. Do you bring all your talents and abilities to work every single day? Do you shine or retreat in tough times?
- Honesty not bluntness. Do you communicate with honesty and care? Are you straightforward without being blunt? Your teamwork persona will attract others when you are easy to understand without being hurtful.
- Collaboration. How do you react to this word? Do you want to scream out, “I’m highly competitive!” If you did, would others want you on their team? Something to think about.
- Confidence not arrogance. How do you come across? Teammates want your confidence. It lightens the load. They don’t want your arrogance. It increases the load. Make a list of behaviors that you believe express confidence and those that show arrogance. Ask others how you come across. Work on the first list and eliminate the second! This is how you improve your teamwork persona.
- Moderation of extremes. Most everyone has some extreme behaviors. It could be habits you’ve developed or traits that have evolved. The key question is: Can you moderate them so they don’t burden others?
- Courage and humility. Work requires both depending on the situation. When pressure mounts, how do you act? When conditions require some restraint, can you do that well?
- Respect. Showing respect to and for others is essential to a great teamwork persona. It is the basis for all teamwork.
- Integrity. The ultimate factor in whether people will want to work with you. Trust is everything.
A teamwork persona checklist for you:
Critical Attributes.
Developing your occupational skills is the typical career path. However, developing your teamwork persona will bring you incredible career success. Start now!
From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™
Related Posts:
5 Extremes That Harm Teamwork
21 Reasons People Don’t Get Along at Work
Moderation Doesn’t Mean Mediocrity
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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.
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Hi Kate,
I would add the following:
– Agility
The ability to change traits that used to work outside this environment. Workers, specially ones who have been transferred from a different team, think that traits that used to serve them well will do also here. It’s not always the case. According to belbin’s 9 roles theory in teamwork, you might need to wear the hat of completor when you used to be a plant for example.
– Smile
I’m sure this was covered in a broader way under your points but I would rather put it as a separate point for its importance. NEVER FORGET TO WEAR YOUR SMILE. Smiling is the key to open hearts within teams. It’s the flag to whispers for harmony for other teammates.
Regards,
Khalid
Wonderful Khalid. Great reminders and as usual your examples expand the discussion. I loved your reference to wearing different hats.
Kindest regards,
Kate
Excellent thoughts Kate. Simply being nice, kind, and considerate is one of the most effective ways to be easy to work with. Too many people like to say they are being “brutally honest” as a way to mask their inability to regulate their difficult personality characteristics. I’m all for honesty…just not brutality!
Take care,
Randy
I’m with you Randy. There is no need for “brutally honest.”
Many thanks for adding your voice to this discussion!
Best regards,
Kate
Excellent article Kate! This article is for everyone. A great reminder for those in leadership as a reminder and to the person just entering the workforce. Awesome.
Many thanks Cynthia! It’s always gratifying to know that a post applies to many people. I value your feedback.
Grateful regards,
Kate
Sharing with my community right now! Just read it again. Great stuff Kate!
Kate! Team working depends upon organisational structure and culture. I have earned experience from a pharma Mnc & joined national food manufacturing & cable industry. Either you are on senior or junior post, it’s your responsibility to adopt the culture. Build relationships, give respect, listen attentively, and respond effectively are the key components to attract the team members. In team never demand for respect, give respect and get respect.
Hi Farrukh,
Well you sum it up so well … “Never demand respect … give respect and get respect.”
Thank you for that simply and wonderfully stated truth.
Kate