Not Everyone is a Team Player

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Published by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
Sunday, August 11, 2002
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Everyone is supposed to be a team player in today's work environment. That works great for some people, but not everyone wants to be or is a team player. Some people are soloist and work best alone. Unfortunately, the soloists among us can be made to feel like something is wrong with them if they don't want to fully participate with the team.

I had a situation where I was managing a team and everyone was a team player except one person. This person did not want to be a team player. They were good at what they did and simply wanted to do what they did best, their job. At first, I was confused by this and felt it was my duty to get that person on board to be a team player. I tried to enthuse them to want to participate, but nothing worked. I finally realized that the problem was not the non-team player, the problem was me. This person wasn't fulfilling my expectations and playing along. What I finally realized was that not everyone wants to be a team player. This person was excellent at what they did and their non-involvement with the team did not have a negative effect on the other members. Once I realized what was most important was that the customer was served and satisfied, I was able to let go of my own belief about team membership and manage this person as an individual.

Not every situation calls for a team effort. When it does, it will be important to make sure that the people you gather to be on the team truly are team players. My experience has shown that most situations truly don't call for a team effort. Individuals working together will get the job done. And there is a distinction between a group of people working together and a team. It is good to be clear on what the situation requires and then work accordingly. That way expectations can be set and everyone can enjoy the job they are doing.

Coaching

I once had a manager who wouldn't allow anyone to refer to the work they did as an individual effort. Everything we did had to be referred to by we, not I. Even if I was the only person to work on the project, I had to refer to the effort as we. I couldn't take full credit for what I did and quiet frankly, I resented that. I can be a team player, but I also like to be a soloist. I enjoy accomplishing things on my own. What experience has taught me is that not every situation requires a team effort. In fact, most "teams" are not teams at all; they are simply a group of people working together individually. Once we have an understanding of what a team is and isn't we can better establish our expectations.

A team is a group of people that are interdependent. Accomplishing an important task requires that everyone on the team contribute to the team effort 100%. Jobs are interrelated and cannot be done independently. Some jobs require this sort of team effort, but most do not. This doesn't mean that a group of people doing different things cannot be on a team, they certainly can. But, being on a team and being a team player are two different things.

What are you best at, being a soloist or being a team player?

Daily Success Formula

Being on a team <> Team Player

Quotes

"A particular shot or way of moving the ball can be a player's personal signature, but efficiency of performance is what wins the game for the team." Pat Riley

"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." Vince Lombardi

"It is the lone worker who makes the first advance in a subject; the details may be worked out by a team, but the prime idea is due to enterprise, thought, and perception of an individual." Alexander Fleming