An Informed Team is a Stable Team
Share information and resources with your team. Some people think they increase their career worth if they’re the one with all the information, but you should be invested in your team. It depends how you play this. Hoarding resources and then trotting out your smarts at opportune moments will not get you far; after all, nobody likes a know-it-all. Withholding information until the spotlight shines on you alone is a surefire way to lose support. Instead, make yourself a necessary part of the team by sharing all your information, knowledge and resources freely––be the "go-to" person that people feel they can trust. Take a page from people-centric business expert Tim Sanders’ book Love is the Killer App: Be a lovecat – a rich, open source of knowledge.
Keep your project manager informed about your progress. Even with the most collaborative planning tools, you probably have a lead project manager who oversees the delivery of a project (even if her title isn’t “Project Manager”). This person initiates tasks and assigns work to all other team members. In some groups, this person could be your boss or a team leader, and is generally the one who takes the fall if things go south. When you show respect for your project lead’s responsibilities – by meeting deadlines, communicating changes and being reliable – you make an important person’s life easier and raise your value quotient.
Allowing for Growth as a Team
Respect other people’s work styles. We all know this one: Everyone is different and we all have our own work styles. Just because a team member approaches a task or challenge at a different angle than you would doesn’t mean it’s wrong. So if you don’t understand what a teammate is doing or saying, ask questions until you find a common ground. Clearing up the differences in your processes will help you work together more fluidly going forward, and who knows––you might even learn a thing or two! In many cases, the outcome is what matters, such as making the deadline with quality work. If your team member approaches the work in a manner that perplexes you but still delivers, it's probably fine. However, in some cases, if methodology or accuracy require a specific way to achieve something, and your teammate is dodging this, it's time to have a pointed chat.
Be flexible and willing to change. Projects hardly ever go as planned, so there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself doing “surprise” work in order to move a project forward. It could be helping a teammate with some tasks, taking over part of a ballooning project, you name it. If you can roll with these change requests with a positive attitude and pitch in where needed, this will earn you those key points as “team player.” If you’re a good problem solver and naturally willing to do whatever (within reason) the team needs of you, it could be that flexibility is one of your greatest strengths. Every team needs a flexible player, so play to it!
Staying Upbeat
Be positive. You can’t do everything perfectly, which means you’re going to get constructive feedback every once in a while. This is how each of us learns and builds our career skills. So when you do get constructive feedback, try to take it with a positive attitude. Keep in mind that not everyone’s great at their feedback delivery, so don’t take it personally if it comes out blunt and seems a tad insensitive. Instead, just focus on the part that you can learn from. If possible, ask for feedback so you can keep improving your game.
Keep it meaningful. If a boss sets out a plan of action and you can rise to the occasion and meet it––well, how many ways can you say “raise” and “promotion”? At the end of the day, however, you know what matters even more than raises and promotions: the feeling of doing meaningful work in a team that fosters your talents and being appreciated and valued for the good work you do. Focus most on how you can do your part in the equation and see the world rise up to meet you.
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