Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me!

“Get over yourself…it’s about preserving the team, not your ego.”

Carol Strider (my dear mother)

I had the pleasure of traveling to the beautiful little town of Kodiak recently. I work in Kodiak every three months or so; I typically have a “theme” associated with the training I develop and present for my client there. This past week, the theme was “teams.”

I asked both employees and leaders alike to consider what it means to be on a team. Of course, they offered the following: they work together, they share the same goals, they help each other out, etc.

I pushed a little harder.

I offered my thoughts on “good team members” and challenged them to honestly assess, if they were given the chance to create a dream team, would they choose themselves?

What about you? 

Are you consistently reliable?

• Do you do your fair share of the work?
• Do you rarely, if ever, complain?
• Do you CONSISTENTLY follow through?
• Can you, more often than not, be counted on?

 

Do you communicate constructively?

• Do you speak up and express your ideas clearly, directly, honestly and with respect?
• Do you assert your needs, your ideas and your opinions?
• Do you consistently communicate in a positive and respectful manner?
• Do you apologize or concede when appropriate?

 

Do you listen actively?

• Do you absorb, understand and consider ideas without debating or arguing?
• Do you seek to understand the other’s perspective?
• Do you listen for intent, not argument?
• Can you receive criticism without reacting negatively?
• Do you discipline yourself to listen first, speak second?

 

Do you ACTIVELY participate?

• Do you come prepared to work?
• Do you discipline yourself to be on time for meetings/make efficient use of your time?
• Do you actively and positively engage in activities and discussions?
• Do you take initiative when work needs to be done?
• Do you demonstrate a “what else can I do?” attitude?

 

Do you share openly?

• Do you willingly share knowledge, time, experience and information?
• Do you take initiative to ensure your colleagues are informed?
• Do you participate actively in “informal sharing” across disciplines/levels in the organization?

 

Do you cooperate and pitch in?

• Do you work WITH others, regardless of their role, level or popularity in the organization?
• Do you look beyond differences concerning style and perspective?
• Do you positively respond to requests for assistance?
• Do you pro-actively OFFER assistance?

 

Do you demonstrate flexibility?

• Do you roll with the punches WITHOUT complaint?
• Do you withhold from “whining” about change?
• Are you able to keep an open mind and consider different points of view?
• Do you keep your ego and “bullheaded stubbornness” out of the equation?

 

Are you truly committed?

• Do you demonstrate you care about the work, the customer, the team and the organization?
• Are you willing to engage in uncomfortable feedback or discussions to ensure the objectives are met?
• Can you put self-preservation aside and let the team’s goals take priority?

 

Do you work as a problem solver?

• Are you willing to deal with all types of problems, not just the easy ones?
• Do you understand the need for compromise and creativity?
• Do you withhold from blaming others?
• Are you able to “move on” instead of dwell on things?
• Do you actively face problems, challenges or conflict?

 

Do you respect and support others?

• Do you consistently demonstrate courtesy, manners and professionalism?
• Do you show empathy and compassion when appropriate?
• Do you unconditionally offer respect and support?
• Do you refrain from poking fun, criticizing or otherwise offending others for sport/fun?

 

The above ten characteristics are what I believe need to be demonstrated by great team members. These characteristics are what I look for when I’m hiring staff, when I’m looking for volunteers, and when I’m building my teams.

So this begs the question…if you were building a team, would you choose you?