How To Be A Great Teammate
As a Production Supervisor. who are your teammates? In your plant, the other supervisors, your managers and your support resources constitute your team. Great teams work together to achieve their objectives and being on a great team is definitely an incredible experience. But does being on a great team make someone a great teammate? Well not really because it is possible to be on a great team and not be a contributor on that team. Sometimes a team member is just happy to ride on the coattails of that team.
I’ve been on a few great teams when there were one or two team members that were just not willing to step-up like the rest of the team and accept the required responsibility and accountability that came with the role. In some cases there were enough high performing team members to overcome the gaps created by underperforming members, so we would still achieved great results. Sometimes though, the underperforming team members really would bring our entire team down and we would struggle to achieve targets until that performance situation was addressed.
When we as leaders are placed on a team, our jobs don’t stop there. We actually need to step-up and make the decision to be a great teammate. Its not okay to sit back and let everyone else do the work. When we become a teammate, we need to commit to being the best teammate possible.
Its like being in a tug-a-war contest. Everyone needs to hold tight and pull hard to win. If one person lets go of the rope or doesn’t pull hard because they are expecting everyone else to do the hard work, then the team is destined to lose. Your plant team includes all of the other supervisors and managers that are working in your plant and your contribution as a teammate on your plant team can make or break that team. Always be the best teammate that you can be!
What are the Values and Behaviors of a Great Teammate?
Great teammates are trustworthy. They follow-through on their assignments and they hit deadlines. When they consistently achieve their objectives, it provides the team with confidence because the team knows that this teammate is someone who can be counted on to get things done. And if they are going to miss an assignment or a goal, then they communicate it in advance so that they can get help with it before it derails the team. Trustworthy teammates don’t back stab people and they don't copy or blind copy someone for political purposes.
Great teammates genuinely care about their teammates. They are genuinely happy when others succeed. They recognize the accomplishments of their peers, support resources and even the boss. If a teammate offers them a bit of personal information they compassionately listen and follow-up with them later about it. They offer to be there for the teammate and to listen.
Great teammates carry their weight plus some. They are the ones who step-up to the plate by volunteering to take on added assignments. If someone else beats them to the assignment, then they still offer a helping hand on the project.
Great teammates go out of their way to help others. If someone is struggling, they ask what they can do to help. They know that partnering is the first step to forming a great team.
Great teammates share their gifts. They know that everyone is good at different things. So if you’re particularly strong in a certain area, then allow your strength to be leveraged across the company. If for example, you’re really strong technically, offer to train others. If your strong at project management, then volunteer to be the project team leader. Use your skills and your strengths for the benefit of your plant team - that will make you a great teammate.
Great teammates seek alignment. When a problem arises, they work hard to gain alignment with their teammates. They want to make sure that everyone on the team agrees on the problem and the solution. This can take many conversations but the team results will be optimal.
Great teammates share ideas and seek out the best possible solutions. They don’t hide in a corner, silent, while ideas are swirling around in their head. Instead they share thoughts and ideas. And when they disagree with something, they professionally express their disagreement. Communication is so key! Yet even after all the sharing, at the end of the day, they always walk away supporting the company or team decision, even if they disagree with it.
Great teammates are results driven. They are passionate about results beyond the results of their own department and shift. They care about the overall success of their plant and the other departments in the plant. Great teammates never want to see others fail or the company missing important goals. Even if their department is doing well, they still feel the joys and pains of plantwide success or failure.
Great teammates hold their teammates accountable for deliverables. Of course they do it professionally. And in return great teammates want to be held accountable for deliverables too. When teammates hold each other accountable, it is a step forward towards becoming a self-directed team. When the team members hold themselves accountable, then the higher-level managers can take a step back and focus on business strategies instead of performance management.
Great teammates are positive. They bring the energy to the team. That doesn’t mean that they are all bubbly and outgoing, but they are focused on the goals and they use words of encouragement and they have a can-do attitude. They never say “That won’t work”, but instead they say “How can we?”. Don't be the person who takes the wind out of others sails. Bring the right attitude and a positive outlook to every situation even if you don't feel like it at first, then watch as good things start to happen. Positivity spreads!
A great teammate is going to take on any role assigned to them. Former NBA star Kobe Bryant once said that he would be willing to wave a towel or get water for his team or hit the winning shot if that helped the team win. Being a great teammate means being willing to do whatever it takes to make the team successful.
In a factory, sometimes that means rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty, while sometimes it means running to the store to get cleaning supplies for the team, and other times it means dressing-up nice to make a pitch to your plant manager for some money to implement an idea that the team needs to improve efficiency. Being a great teammate requires flexibility and a willingness to take on whatever is required to succeed.
Great teammates pursue personal development. They know that when they develop new skills and knowledge, it benefits not only themselves, but the company and the whole team benefit as well. Great teammates have a growth mindset, they seek out mentorship and they are willing to stretch outside of their comfort zone in the best interest of their team.
BE THE SUPERVIOR THAT YOU WANT ON YOUR TEAM!
If you could pick anyone in the plant to be on your team, would you pick yourself first? Are you the best teammate in your plant? If not, if you wouldn’t pick yourself first, just consider it a opportunity for professional development. Just reflect on your teamwork skills and make it part of your professional development to be the best teammate that you can be. Be the supervisor that everyone wants on their team. Be someone that others can trust to get things done.
Learn more about leadership and teamwork by visiting Tools for the Trenches.
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