5 key attributes of a team player

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Sep 15, 2017 / by
5 key attributes of a team player

There comes a point for every entrepreneur when you can only do so much work alone. When you hit this wall and your productivity (and sanity) decreases, it’s time to start thinking about delegation.

Building a highly skilled, committed team is one of the biggest challenges of growing a business. Not only do you have to check that your new team members have the right technical expertise, you also have to screen for character traits. Before you add a new person to your team, ensure that they have these key attributes.

1- Growth-oriented

Whether you’re a copywriter, graphic designer or web developer, you should always be looking to advance your craft. The landscape of online businesses can change rapidly, which makes certain skills obsolete and other ones in high demand.

When searching for a new team member, enquire what technologies they’re learning about and what skills they’re currently working on. If a person is stagnant and has no current interest in evolving their capacities they might treat your business with the same level of apathy.

2 – Self-driven

In the grownup world of employment, good workers shouldn’t need someone to micromanage them to get their work done. You need to be able to give a person a deadline, provide them with instructions and then expect the work to be completed on time.

There is nothing wrong with asking for clarification and getting help in difficult circumstances. However, a worker should always take the initiative first. If a worker needs a babysitter in order to perform well, they are not a good team player.

3 – Excellent communicator

Workplace communicationEven if someone has superb technical expertise, if they aren’t able to communicate properly with their teammates, then your projects will never be successful. Often, good communication simply means breaking down technical concepts into ordinary speech and checking in with teammates on a regular basis.

Tatyana Sussex states:

Communicators are good at persuading just about anyone to jump on board and give the team the help it needs. Your communicator might be the person with the longest list of contacts, and knows someone for just about anything you need.

4 – Positive

Both positivity and negativity are infectious. Even if a person pulls their weight in terms of the work they deliver, a negative attitude can destroy a good team atmosphere.

Instead of complaining about problems, someone with a positive attitude will see a new challenge that can be tackled when they’re faced with adversity. Positivity doesn’t mean you have to be happy and cheerful the entire time, it just means that you’re proactive and strive to see the benefits in every scenario.

5 – Flexible

Particularly for startups or companies in turbulent industries, it’s incredibly helpful if your workers are flexible in their approach to work. Sometimes, a worker should be prepared to learn new skills or take on unusual duties if it’s in the best interests of the company. Being able to prioritize the company’s goals is a great attribute to look for in a worker.

Conclusion

In your hiring process, be sure to screen for these attributes. People will often reveal a lot about their psychology when they tell stories about the projects they’ve worked on. If in doubt, check with a previous employer to ensure that your read on the worker’s personality traits actually correlates with reality.

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