What I’ve noticed in my career is that managers love employees that they consider “team players.” I know, we’ve all heard it before and we know all the clichés about how there’s “no I in team,” but what does being a team player really mean when it comes to your job and your career? That’s the real question, and I think the perspective from management and those they manage can be vastly different. An employee that is always willing to help out others if they have availability can be a gem, and considered a team player. However, an employee that takes on a position that he’s not really interested in at the request of his manager is also considered a team player. I wouldn’t necessarily consider those both good situations. The key with being a team player is really understanding where you’re providing value while at the same time keeping your career goals in mind.
Managers have a job to do, and they’ll use the resources available to them (as they should) to try to get the job done. The question though, does that mean it has to be you? If you’re truly engaged in your work and love your job, you may really enjoy every aspect of it no matter what issues are going on behind the scenes and may not feel as affected by office politics. I have always struggled with these things, and I’m sure it’s due to the fact that I don’t necessarily have a job that I’m passionate about. While that is disappointing, it has also allowed me to be free in my thinking at work and has made me more than willing to speak up when I think we could be doing things differently. Most employees (and people in general) are too afraid to go against the grain at work because they don’t want to lose their job. There’s no doubt that you could foster some animosity towards you in your company and that it could work against you in your career, but what I’ve found is that it has done the exact opposite for me.
One of the things that I’ve always heard was that management appreciated my honesty, and my willingness to stick my neck out to say that something we were doing wasn’t very effective. For me, I’ve been so frustrated that it was really just me being fed up with some of the stupid decisions that we’ve made that I wanted to say something about it. Whatever my reasoning, it has made me stand out from my peers. Granted, if you continuously complain then over time it’s just going to turn against you and you’ll stand out for negative reasons. But if you’re willing to break away from the mold (and the team so to speak), you show leadership qualities that can make you a prime candidate for future promotions and opportunities.
So when your boss tells you that you’re a team player, is that a good thing? Yes, for the most part I think it is. Being able to foster good relationships with your team and help them when they need it is an important part of being a leader. The difference lies in knowing when to stand up when no one else is. That’s what separates us from our peers, and allows us to stand out in a crowded workforce. Being a team player shouldn’t mean to never go against the grain, but that’s how some of us interpret it. If you never take chances and always stay in the background you’ll only get so far, and you’ll stunt your full career (and life) potential. It’s important to know when to take one for the team, and when to take the spotlight to lead your team by example.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:07 am
[…] Joe D from Know The Ledge presents Being A Team Player Only Gets You So Far. […]
April 8th, 2008 at 7:32 am
For me, being a team player means doing good for the sake of the team and towards the success of the project we are working on. This does not necessary mean being a back seat team member. If I felt that something needs to be opposed against, I would voice my opposition and back that up with actions.
One of my philosophies is that if the project is successful, then the team has contributed to that success.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I agree with you, and that’s a lot of my point. Being a “team player” often means different things to different people, especially between management and those being managed. The success of the team should be the most important aspect of a project, as it’s a group effort and everyone plays an important role. However, there are some in management that believe being a team player means taking a back seat or not standing up for things they believe in, just because their manager has a differing view.