The transient nature of the modern workforce leads to individuals working with a vast number of peers and teams throughout the course of their career. Being able to build relationships quickly and earn the respect of your peers is essential for those who want to move into a leadership role. Here are some practical tips for how to be a valuable team member:
Establish Yourself as an Expert in a Niche – Every project is going to have areas that align with your strengths, so it’s in your best interest to identify those areas and showcase your expertise. The sooner your team members see value in your unique contributions in one area, the sooner they will seek your influence in others.
Publicly Praise Team Members – During meetings with members of the leadership team, make sure to point to a few “under the radar” successes that your team has had and recognize the individuals involved. A public compliment in front of influential people goes a long way with your peers.
Offer to Help with Work Outside Your Comfort Zone – This is a great opportunity to have an expansion of your skill set working with team members who have complimentary skills. More than likely they’ll be happy you offered to help and will contribute to your education along the way.
Respect the Process – When multiple people are working on the same project everyone is going to have their own opinion of how the work should be completed. Respecting and understanding team members’ work flow is a crucial part to making sure the project is completed on time.
Do you have any strategies you use to add value to your team members? Please leave them in the comment section below.
How to Be a Valuable Team Member
by Eric Osterman on June 26th, 2014 | ~ minute read
