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DISCUSSION
GROUP
What's on your mind?
Packaging Horizons
EXECUTIVE WOMEN'S FORUM
What are the qualities of a good team player?
Jean Moran, President
Label Makers
To be a good team member, you must recognize the importance of being a successful individual. As part of a team, we are expected to be skilled and accountable for specific tasks. It's imperative that we constantly work to be the best at our individual specialties. Only then can we begin to identify the synergy we can create with our teammates.
You have to balance your individual growth with team goals. It is important that your development is never sacrificed for the team, and team objectives are never compromised for you. It is a delicate balance and those who have achieved this balance are typically very successful professionally. Being a team player is not about being mediocre and blending in. It is about excelling and then taking it a step further and helping others to excel. Ask any super athlete who has never made it to his/her sports' top contest. Excelling as an individual is quite rewarding but taking the extra step and excelling with your winning team is the ultimate dream.
Pauline F. Mead
Manager of Marketing & Business Development,
Containerboard & Recycling
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
The long-term success of any business organization hinges upon the ability of the people to work together as a team. Companies with strong team players are more likely to be successful in achieving corporate objectives. Good teamwork encourages employees to participate in the business and provides the added benefit of generating new ideas for the company.
A good team player can come in many sizes, shapes and personalities. Despite these differences, a team player must be able to collaborate and communicate. Within a company reside people who are specialists in different areas. A good team player has the ability to draw on the knowledge of others with an open mind to effectively accomplish the task at hand.
Perhaps the most important trait of a good team player is the capacity to remain focused on the stated goals of the organization. This simply means making sure that the goals of the organization are met instead of using the work to further a personal goal. It is important to note, though, that it is perfectly acceptable to further personal goals as long as the organizational objectives are also met.
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