By Molly Stawn- Hub101
Be cheerful.
A sour attitude can bring everyone down. Make sure to greet your co-workers with a happy “Hello!” in the mornings. Keep your views on the workplace positive, even if things are tough. Ladle out the compliments to keep the space a pleasant place for everyone to be. Small talk with co-workers. Get to know them. Being chatty and friendly always helps build relationships and thus, a stronger team.
2. Give credit where credit is due.
Sure, a team comes together to win together, but a lot of times there is one individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty. Make sure to give them a shout out and compliment all they do. Recognizing the achievements of other members is key to a healthy team. Give credit to other’s great ideas. Don’t alienate them or take credit for their work.
3. Be respectful.
Simple things such as answering emails promptly and being on time to meetings shows your co-workers and your boss that you respect them and their time. Keeping yourself and your work space clean, keeping music and talking volumes low, and giving other team members their space display that you are respectful of the work space and your co-worker’s boundaries. Never let yourself or your space become the office annoyance or eyesore.
4. Avoid toxic thinking.
Nothing damages a team more than brutal gossip, thinking bad of someone, or demeaning others. Try your best to keep a positive mind set about every situation and every person on the team. Others may feel that the team does more work than another department, or that your supervisor is clueless. However, try not to engage in damaging conversation. It will only bring the team down.
5. Communication is key.
Keeping conversation out in the open rather than burying true feelings and secrets only makes the team stronger. Always discuss personal and professional problems among team members and work on solving them right away. Letting wounds fester only makes it harder to fix in the future. If two team members secretly hate each other, it will only make the work environment much more volatile and the product produced less coherent.
6. Trust and be Trusted.
Everyone wants a teammate that is committed the project, puts the team first, and can always be counted on. It is important to prove to your teammates that you have everything it takes to bring the group to victory. However, the reverse is true. You must also be willing to let go of important tasks and trust that your co-workers will handle them well. Teammates must trust each other to do the best work for the best result.
7. Hold them accountable.
Everyone makes mistakes, including your co-workers. We all are only human. Rather than letting it go, make sure to give them some tough love and correct them to prevent future slip-ups. However, it is still important to show them respect in how you handle the conversation. They are not below you, so make sure to not scold or lose your temper, no matter how big the mess.
8. Be Humble.
No team has a super star player; they win or lose as one. It is important to stay humble rather than brag about your contributions to the team, no matter how impressive. Your teammates need to know you support them and their work rather than just yourself. Keep yourself grounded, and your team will ultimately be stronger.
9. Listen.
Listening to what your co-workers have to say, whether it is in a presentation at a meeting or their opinion on how to tackle an important situation, is always vital to a team. The best ideas can surface through listening to other’s opinions. The best way to understand a situation to its fullest is to listen. The best way to learn a new skill is to listen. A team needs to listen to each other in order to weave themselves together, rather than be a group of individuals all with a different mindset.
Operated by Cal Lutheran University in Westlake Village, CA, Hub101 offers a space for entrepreneurs and small business owners to start, grow, and scale their startups with the help of mentors, coaches and service providers.
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