How to Up Your Team Skills

Showing up, pitching in, being timely, and communicating well are all part of being on a team. But here are five essential roles you may not have considered. See if any create underperformance for your team. 1) Leadership. Even if you are not the team leader, you can still practice leadership behaviors—think proactively, take initiative, and “think upstream” to prevent future problems. 2) Conflict Resolution. Spot conflicts early and facilitate resolution. 3) “Other” Awareness Skills. Continually sense the needs of team members (e.g., sensing others are overworked, you pitch in to share more of the load). 4) Checking In. Disagreements happen, but personality clashes can be toxic. Check in—ask, find out whether things are “OK between us.” 5) Diversity Awareness. Pay attention to—and grow appreciation for—the variety of skills and abilities of team members while seeking ways to best utilize them.
 

9/20/2017