ALT-1 Benefits of being a Team Player in the Workplace
Do others consider you to be a team player in the workplace? If not, it could be doing damage to your career and you might not even know it. While you cannot always put the values of others ahead of you own, the ability to be a team player is going to provide value to your career and improve your reputation in the eyes of the company. Why does it matter if you are a team player or not?
Being a team player shows that you are flexible. Businesses crave employees who show that they are flexible in the way that they approach their job. Whether it be what hours are worked, the people you work with or just doing what the employer asks, it will be a huge positive for you if you are able to adapt to whatever is needed at work.
Team players often make the best leaders because they can be diplomatic and put the overall good of the company ahead of their own. Businesses run on the concept that the business comes first and the employee comes second. You are being paid to help the company make more money, so the ability to do what is best for the company will help you get ahead in your career. Your boss will make life much easier on you if you are willing to adapt to what is needed.
Those who are willing to be a team player often garner more respect in the workplace. Not everyone is as talented, or as knowledgeable as you might be. If you are willing to teach those who are struggling, it will make them see you as someone who respects everyone in the office. This goes a long way toward determining who is going to be productive in their career. On the other hand, if you are willing to defer to those who know what they are doing, it shows that you can be led well.
This ability is almost as important as the ability to lead. Knowing how to not let your ego interfere with your ability to let others do their jobs is a good sign that you are a team player and can be counted on. It will help garner trust among those that you work with and it will show others that you can be a trusted partner as opposed to someone who will try to steal the glory.
The team players are the ones who are going to get ahead in their careers because it shows that they can function well with others. Teamwork is such a huge part of working today that it is silly to think that you cannot put others above yourself without it hurting you in the end.
