Solidarity First | Understanding What Being a Team Player Means

#workvalues #teamwork #commongoals #solidarity #solidarityatwork

#teamplayer #team #success #together #work #workenvironment 

In today's working environment, we talk a lot about teamwork and how having common goals and working with people with different perspectives and backgrounds has a beneficial impact on personal development and the growth of the organizations we are part of. However, being a team player is not just about working alongside others, but a more complex subject that requires special attention and constant effort from all the actors involved in a working process, no matter the hierarchy. 

Let's start with a story. Once, two friends who lived together decided that their house needed some cleaning. Let's call them Mary and Pippin. They divided all the chores, and each did their best to do their part. At some point in the process, Pipin said: "I will clean the bathroom. Will you, Mary, take out the trash?". And Mary agreed. But then, Mary saw how the wardrobe needed to be reorganized and started fixing this problem instead. In the end, they were standing in the middle of the house, looking around, proud of their work, but a foul smell was still there, which was really bothering them. What was it? Of course, it was the garbage.

As well, as in the story, when you work in a team and decide together to apply a strategy, you can't ask yourself why the system didn't work when you took it upon yourself to change it without talking to your team. You can't ask what that nasty smell is when you don't take out the trash. How this story should have unfolded? If Mary had good communication skills, they would have finished their chores and worked together to reorganize the wardrobe, a more complex task. 

At Veo Worldwide Services, we value teamwork done properly, and it's time to discuss what being a team player means for us. We will also discuss how solidarity at work is the key to achieving success, conflict resolution, and how you can become a better colleague and harvest your people skills to your and your team's advantage. 

Be Open, Humble, Helpful, and Kind!

Being a team player means working together towards a common goal, regardless of individual differences or preferences. Emotional regulation is the star of the discussion for that to happen. When working on a project, understanding and respecting each other's strengths is just as important as acknowledging and accepting each other's weaknesses. Only then can we achieve the best possible outcome. A team player is one to encourage the people around them. They will never shame people for lack of skills or knowledge. Instead, they are willing to share knowledge, skills, and resources, as they are open to learning and discovering new things and changing their opinions. They listen actively to their teammates and are open to feedback, suggestions, and constructive criticism. They respect others' opinions and ideas, even if they disagree.

What can you do?

1. Communicate effectively 

Listen actively to your teammates, be clear and concise, and provide regular updates on your progress. Let's come back to the story from the beginning. What would have happened if Mary communicated the intention of reorganizing the wardrobe? Either the decision is to reinforce the priorities and decide that taking out the garbage is more important for the final result, or the time and effort would have been divided differently. 

2. Be open to feedback

Accept constructive criticism and suggestions from your teammates and use them to improve your performance. Even if the first instinct when someone gives you an opinion regarding your work is to be defensive, trying to step back and see the big picture is crucial. Two minds working together are better than one.

3. Show respect 

Treat your teammates respectfully, even if you disagree with their opinions or ideas. Blaming or criticizing helped no one ever, but focusing on finding solutions together does. 

4. Be reliable

Fulfill your commitments and meet your deadlines. Each must do their part so the final result is the best. What a wall with a brick missing? If you need more time to meet a deadline, inform your teammates and work together to find a solution. 

Dealing with Conflicts

Where people work together, conflicts will also appear. In a work environment, we all have stressful situations to deal with and targets to meet. But conflicts do not have to be detrimental to the team's success. With the right attitude solving disputes is easy peasy. Here are the secrets of conflict resolution unraveled. 

1. Address the issue

Identify the cause of the conflict and address it as soon as possible. Avoiding or ignoring the problem can make it worse.

2. Listen to each other 

Listen to each other's perspectives and try to understand the other person's point of view. Avoid interrupting or dismissing their opinion.

3. Find common ground 

Look for a solution that benefits everyone. This may require compromising or finding alternative solutions that satisfy everyone's needs.

4. Seek help if needed

If the conflict is too complex or cannot be resolved within the team, seek help from a neutral third party, such as a mediator or supervisor.

Solidarity is one of our business's core values, and we always come back to it. VeoPeople is a team who will always strive to perfect its collaboration skills because we know the secret: we are much stronger together than alone.

If you believe the same, join our team by applying here for one of our currently available positions. Apply here if you are a fierce commercial, or simply send your CV to cariere@veoworldwide.ro, and we will do our best to find you a place among us. 

Share in the comments your experience as a team player. Have you ever had issues when working with others? How did you overcome them? Did someone help you? Or maybe a book opened your eyes. Let us know! Be a team player once more and share your knowledge!

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