Inspiring Workplaces: 10 Ways to Be a Dream Teammate

Published: Wed, 10/23/24

Updated: Wed, 10/23/24

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Inspiring Workplaces
The Way Work Ought to Be!

#1,044 - October 23, 2024

10 Ways to Be a Dream Teammate

Here are 10 simple ways to become a dream teammate and create a better workplace:

1. Be the person who brings food and/or coffee for the team. (Yes, this is blatant bribery, but it also works.)

2. Be accountable for your actions. Surveys reveal that teammates who do not step up and take responsibility for their own actions are rated as their least favorite jerk-wads (my term) to work with.

3. Ask colleagues for input. This shows that you respect and value their judgment. Plus, you might just get an awesome idea that will make you and the entire team look even better than you already do. And studies suggest that simply asking for input on a regular basis helps increase the odds of getting a promotion and raises your assessment in peer reviews.

4. Treat your teammates like your customers and always ask them if there's anything more you could do for them. Anticipate their needs and follow up with them - this won't go unnoticed! Ask them, "Is there anything I could start doing or stop doing that would make your life easier?"

5. Keep a box of thank-you cards at your desk to make it easy to thank your coworkers. A simple, hand-written thank-you note goes a long way these days. (As an added bonus, thanking people has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of boosting your own level of happiness).

6. Don't be a jerk! There's a reason so many people grumble about a lack of manners these days, so be consistently kind and don't be a jerk! Say please and thank-you, ask about their day and their family, and don't leave Blue Stilton cheese fermenting in the fridge for a week.

7. Check in with them. There's a difference (as anyone with teenagers at home can attest) between checking up on someone and checking in with someone. A Deloitte study found that one of the most powerful ways employees gain a sense of belonging at work is when a colleague genuinely checks in with them.

8. Look for opportunities to "go the extra inch" consistently when you interact with colleagues, and for opportunities to "go the extra mile" and do something truly memorable when someone desperately needs a hand. It will never go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

9. Practice premeditated acts of kindness. Surprising people with small gestures of kindness is too important to leave to random chance, so plan for small acts of kindness on a regular basis.

10. Take a page from the world of theater improv and apply this improv rule: It's not about making you look good; it's about asking what you can do to make the rest of your cast look awesome. And the truly awesome thing is, the more you do this, the better you actually end up looking.

Mike's Fun at Work Tip

Encourage everyone on your team to rate how much fun they had at work at the end of every day for one week, then compare notes.

When clients have done this here's what they've discovered: The days people rated as "the most fun" rarely had anything to do with rubber chickens, Pogo sticks, or boardroom pillow fights. Instead, people said things like, "I had no meetings Tuesday so I was way more productive and I actually got lots done," "I finished a huge project I had been putting off," "I had the most AMAZING interaction with one of my favorite clients," or "Jennifer brought me a basket of cookies as a thank you gift and it made my day."

Doing this simple exercise is a fun way to reveal some truths about what's truly de-motivating people and what actually inspires them and it can help remind you of the things you need to do less of and the things you need to focus on to make work more rewarding.

Deep Thought of the Week

"People can’t drive you crazy if you don’t give them the keys.”

Mike Bechtle

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For fonder farewells please use the car park

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