GlobalBX

Teams. When we think about them, we often picture sports teams, groups of men and women working together as one unit to accomplish a single goal: win.

In the office setting, the same concept still applies. Whatever business you’re in or whatever employment position you hold, it’s almost always a guarantee that you are working as part of a team.  Undergoing teamwork training is always a good place to start, but it’s not enough to actually encourage a teamwork mentality. This starts in the mindset of each and every member of the team—yes, that includes you, too.

That said, here are some ways to get the aforementioned team mentality to make your training and development faster.

1.  Develop Initiative

When you see something wrong in the workplace, do you wait for someone else to fix it, or do you go check how you can try to improve it? Likewise, when your actions are being criticized by your superiors, do you sulk or find ways to make up for your mistakes and become better? Always be aware of yourself and your surroundings, and take the initiative in areas that need improvement.

2. Team First, Before Yourself

We’re not saying that you shouldn’t look after yourself; what we mean to say is that selfishness, egotism, and self-serving attitudes have no place in a team. These attitudes have the potential of ruining the entire structure of an organization.

As part of a team, you need to approach organizational questions with questions of your own. Can it benefit the whole team? Would the profit, if any, be funneled to you personally or the whole team? We all have our interests, but if it goes against what’s best for the team…

3.  Know Something Others Don’t? Share It!

If organization policies are changed overnight, and you know about it while others don’t, then by all means, share what you know with your team members. Surprises have a nasty habit of disrupting productivity as it catches people off guard. Make it a point to inform your fellow team members about any changes in the organization, updates about your target market, and information about your rival organizations. Remember that new information leads to new ideas—something which a team can never have too much of.

4.  “Show Off” your Mistakes

Well not really show off, but make it a point so that others know about it. Mistakes are natural in the office—even those at the top of the corporate ladder have made their fair share. By letting your team mates know about your mistakes, you’re saving them the trouble of repeating them. This in turn allows your team to function much better.

5.  Build Your Own Team Inside the Team

Although it may seem detrimental to the team as a whole, having a small team within the team allows for smaller tasks to be completed much faster. Pick your team members right away instead of waiting to be picked—you just might find yourself in the running for team leader.