Few days ago, I participated in a hackathon that focused on finding solutions to scarcity of essential commodities. Although different participants were given the opportunity to pitch ideas, many of which were great ideas, executing it and being able to come up with a feasible plan, within the time frame of the hackathon, all depended on the Power of the different Teams formed!
That experience, and other similar ones, led me to agree with Margaret Mead who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
So, what is a team?
A team is simply a group of individuals who have agreed or have been selected to come together for a common purpose, usually to solve a problem or represent an entity, which is what differentiates them from a mere gathering. For example, a football team, marketing team of an organization.
A club can also be a team, if they have a common goal in mind, e.g a writer’s club, with individuals who have a goal of improving their writing skills collectively.
Now that we know what a team is, how can we form a team?
Like it is earlier mentioned in this article, a team can either be formed by:
1. A group of people who agree to come together. E.g, a team formed by a group of students who agree to work to improve their academic performance.
2. A selection by someone of higher level, who brings people together to form a team and work towards a communal agreement between the team members. For instance teams formed in an organization comprise of selected people who are then brewed to have a common idea or focus.
In the first instance, people who agree to come together must have attributes that will support the long-term sustenance of the team. Which is what every individual should first watch out for before agreeing to form or join a team with anyone, especially if it is voluntary.
In the second case, there are usually procedural steps that examine if people are suitable, before they are actually selected to be part of this kind of teams. This examination cuts across experience, achievements, and sound reference which all assemble on the foundation of personal skills and Team work skills, and this takes an important part of a job resume. This leads us straight to, Important Team player skills.
Important Team Player Skills
There are so many skills to hack life, but in the field of work, individual or organization success, some are rated higher than others. Team player skills can also be called Interpersonal skills, because they influence our relationship with others.
Communication
In the first place we won’t be able to have a common goal and keep the vision alive, if we cannot properly communicate what we want the other person to hear and understand.
Communication skills are top of the list, ranging from oral, written, to listening skills are all considered essential skills.
No “growth supporting team” would require you to be perfect, but at least know the basics and keep growing from there. The need for effective communication also comes along with the urgency to be polite and courtesy. In a team, you would be dealing with people who have emotions, and deserve to be respected, if not you might break a cord in the team.
Reliability
If there would be a team at all, every member of the team has to be responsible in the individual tasks assigned to them, and this is what builds reliability. If an individual keeps falling off his/her assigned responsibility, they create a gap in the team. Though you might get around this bad attitude a couple of times, be sure that you would be fished out soon and that doubles to bad reference! It is better not to join a team than to be inactive in it, it is like shooting your own leg in the long run.
Ideation and problem solving
We have considered two top soft skills, now let’s top it with a technical skill or if you prefer, “hard skill”.
A team is a pool of resources; brains, bodies and souls. So, it is expected that with quality input of every member, the team can achieve more than what an individual would. All this points to the factthat your ideas are valid and they need to be heard.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the ingeniosity of other people in your team, but hey…you are somebody too, and that thing between your two ears only gets better with constant use. Remember I said I participated in a hackathon? The diversity of people on that platform was mighty, but I didn’t let that stop me from airing my ideas, to every ear that was listening.
Develop the skills that pertain to the goal of your team.
Stamina and strength = Football
Digital skills = Marketing and so on.
Then don’t be afraid to use them when the need surface!
If you need to know more about Team work skills, we have some helpful resources on this blog on teamwork.
See you in the best Team as the best Team Player♥️.
What are you doing to ensure you become a better team player?
Teens Meet Outreach 
Skills to Help You Become a Better Team Player
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