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How To Be a Team Player in the Workplace: 16 Tips

Knowing how to be a team player is important in any situation where you find yourself working with others. Even if you are in a co-working or shared office space, being a team player goes a long way towards a happy, peaceful and efficient office environment.

How to be a team player tip #1: Keep your promises

Someone who knows how to be a team player is reliable, trustworthy, someone to be counted on. Only make promises if you intend to keep them. Show up on time, don’t forget your commitments, and realize that there are others counting on you. Also, avoid the tendency to over-promise: don’t take on more than you can realistically accomplish. Keep in mind that there are only so many hours in the day. Prioritize your tasks, allocate your time accordingly, and realize that it’s okay to say no.

How to be a team player tip #2: Ask for feedback

The best way to be a team player is to check in with your co-workers every once in a while. Ask for constructive criticism, and embrace it – even if it isn’t all positive. This is especially important when first entering the workforce or starting a new job. You need to understand your strengths as well as your shortcomings, and your co-workers are often the best people to ask. The ability to accept constructive feedback will help you grow as a person and become a more valuable team player.

How to be a team player tip #3: Communicate effectively

Great team players communicate their ideas freely and with confidence. They respect the opinions of others, but are not afraid to deliver respectful, constructive input in language and tone that others can understand. This means not being condescending or speaking over the heads of others, and communicating ideas that have relevance to the greater group rather than just to yourself.

How to be a team player tip #4: Volunteer for tasks

A great team player steps up to the plate. This could mean covering for somebody who is ill or unable to be present for any reason, picking up extra tasks for the good of the team, or simply doing nice things like going on a lunch run every once in a while. The more willing you are to step up, the more you will be regarded as somebody to count on, no matter what.

How to be a team player tip #5: Be adaptable

Team players don’t sit idly by and watch things change around them, they:

  • Act as a catalyst for positive change
  • Don’t get too stressed about change: find ways to adapt
  • Don’t just complain about something new: seek to understand the reasons behind it
  • Help others to find their own footing in the face of change

How to be a team player tip #6: Show genuine commitment

Whether you work in a corporate office or a shared office space, showing that you are committed to your work as well as the common goal goes a long way towards the perception of your value. Commitment means more than just showing up on time: it means displaying a genuine passion for the task at hand, and being as invested in the success of the team first and foremost. Team players always make work relationships a priority, give 110% and help others to realize their potential.

How to be a team player tips #7-15: Be respectful

This goes for your co-workers as well as others who work in your office. In a shared office or co-working environment, this holds extra importance because you literally have to share the same air space. In this sense, being a team player means having respect for other’s boundaries. This can include:

  • Keeping your personal noise to a minimum (phone conversations, video and audio)
  • Not eavesdropping
  • Enjoying your lunch in the break room or away from where a meeting/discussion is taking place
  • Closing your office door (if possible) when having a heated discussion
  • Not subjecting your co-workers to aspects of your personal life that should remain personal
  • Treating the office as a place of business during business hours
  • Showing up on time for work and appointments
  • Not leaving others to clean up your messes, literally and figuratively
  • Practicing good personal hygiene

How to be a team player tip #16: Working remotely

As a remote worker, you may be on your own in the physical space, but you are generally working with others on some level to complete or collaborate on tasks. You may not think that knowing how to be a team player would apply in this situation, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Remote workers can be great team players too. All of these tips can apply or be adapted to your specific situation, even if you are working from home.

Liberty Office Suites: a valuable part of your team

Liberty Office Suites is a shared office and co-working environment with two locations in New Jersey. We provide our members with all the convenience of a fully-equipped corporate office without the overhead usually associated with a brick-and-mortar location, and strive to be a valued member of your business team. If you are a small business, entrepreneur, solopreneur or startup, give us a call today or come by for a tour. We’d love to show you around and hear your ideas about how to be a team player in today’s changing business world.

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