The
term "Team Player" has been bantered around for years. Some even
think they have cornered the market on developing a team of players who will
work well together. Amazon alone has over three thousand references to books,
listening and video guides on the subject ready for purchase. What is the
fascination with this philosophy? It seems as though those that use this phrase
have a misconception of its true meaning. This article will explore this most
perplexing phrase; the humorous, its usage and a definition, of sorts.
Who
has never heard this term? Who has never had this term applied to them? How many
have had it used as a reason for termination? If none of the above applies,
then you have been emptied in the proverbial trash can. Employment ads
frequently contain this phrase:“The successful candidate will be a team
player.” Employers are interested in employees who are at ease working as part
of a team so that the apple cart of the establishment doesn’t get turned inside
out. Fitting in and being likable is a key to the success of the group, so we
have been told. However, some are not likeable and the new employee may not
appreciate everyone already on the team. Some see this as a problem and seek to
remove the sour grape. A truer definition of a team player would be one who can
be trusted to do his or her portion of the work load, be relied on to do their
part and work cooperatively with the other members of the team, putting aside personal preferences.
Let’s
remember that a social group and a business team are not similar. This is what
can be perplexing at times as it is a thin line between friendships with
co-workers and the employee/employer relationship. Because of the exorbitant
amount of time spent with others at work, it is natural to confide in a
colleague. Even to trust them with problems you may be having with another
member of the team, and discuss this outside of the team, hoping for assistance from this disclosure. This is known as “triangulation,” another no-no in the
business world. That topic is best left for another article. Be assured that
strong relationships will develop on the team as they do in marriages and
families; the team is wed to each other. Because of this, it will be necessary
to guard these relationships as at some point they may affect how you deal with
an employee/employer difficulty.
Another
hurdle for colleagues is being yourself, the taming of shrew, the natural you and what
is expected of you in the work environment. This can be very daunting and
overwhelming at times. This can be another area to guard, as some are natural
born leaders, pied pipers, and others are followers. The natural born leader
will always struggle with the act of being a follower when he or she is in a
manager/employee relationship. When this line is crossed, even in a
non-threatening way, both parties will feel as though they have been tread
upon, put out by the other. The difficulty here lies in the fact that one is
the boss and one is the employee. In addition, when a follower is put in a role
of leadership, being assertive enough to get the job done may be difficult for
a follower.
When
everyone clearly knows their role, defined either by a job description,
employment agreement, contract and/or policy all will run smoothly. If you do
not have any of the above, you are in a world of hurt. If you do not have a
formal, written understanding of your position, ask for one immediately or ask
if you can create one. If you create your own, make sure you and your
supervisor agree on all therein, and email it to him/her and ask for
confirmation of its acceptance. Whether it is signed or not, it is written down
and you do not have to go scrambling to create/find one when things go awry.
Also, never leave it open ended, as found in many agreements, “and whatever else is asked of me by my
immediate supervisor.” Aside from the confines of the position, get the job done, you
will be standing on a firm footing with clear understanding of how the team "plays well with each other."
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