How to create team players in the workplace

Wondering what team player characteristics you need to foster as a leader? Creating a group that’s cohesive and embodies true team player skills is a fine art leaders need to proactively cultivate. Here are some of our top tips for building team player skills in your team:

Foster a supportive environment

People can only flourish if they feel supported in their personal and professional endeavours. Remember, people aren’t just the role they fill in the workplace, but that they also have interests and lives outside of work. In order to foster a supportive environment, there should be a little give and take when it comes to understanding that sometimes health, family and community commitments need to come first. When people feel like they can work on your team but also live their life, they’ll be more inclined to give their all as a team player at work.

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Provide opportunities to collaborate

Team players do well when they get the opportunity to learn from one another and other parts of the business. Helping people learn, challenge themselves, and see what goes on in someone else’s world will create better outcomes for projects. In addition, it gives your people a chance at professional development, and also makes for a more sharing, collaborative work environment, creating team unity.

Give praise and empower others to do so

People love hearing when they’ve done a good job. Leaders should ensure they take the time to single people out for a job well done, both formally (for example, if there’s a company award they can be nominated for) and informally (like shouting the team lunch). Additionally, there should be a mix of public acknowledgement (such as in a meeting) and private (like in a quick email or IM). People who feel like their good work is noticed and rewarded feel appreciated and more motivated to continue to work hard as a team player and maintain the collaborative culture.

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Make space for fun

What’s one great way to make people feel like they want to come to work? Make work fun. Teams who feel free to have a laugh while at work are more likely to feel positively towards each other and their work. Whether this is encouraging out of work socialising, a lunchtime game or activity (what better way to foster team creation than actually making people a team) or planning enjoyable team-building outings and days. Making people want to come to work and spend time together is an important strategy for creating a bonded group of team players.

Lead by example

If you want to foster team player qualities in your workplace, you have to show people team player examples in your own attitudes and actions. Team player business leaders are the ones who can get their hands dirty alongside their colleagues, who get involved in socialising and who show they also have lives and families, which they give priority to, alongside work. Make your employees want to be on your team by playing on theirs.