How to be a team player AT WORK

No one is born knowing how to work well with others, but being a team player is an essential skill in the workplace. Here's how to level up so you can collaborate effectively

- EMMA FOLLETT-BOTHA

Scan any CV and you'll undoubtedly come across the words 'team-player' somewhere on the page - maybe you've even included it because you've come to know it's a trait employers value highly. For some people, particularly introverts, the prospect of collaboration can be intimidating. But being a team-player relates not so much to your gift of the gab and ability to talk the talk, but rather to being assertive and proactive, and motivating other team members. 'Effective team-players have fundamental respect for their colleagues and create the space for them to do their best work,' says Lisa Hansford, a Cape Town-based leadership and team coach. 'They solve problems together, generate solutions together, dream together and learn together - and when the going gets tough, they motivate and encourage each other.'

In her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain argues that society has dramatically undervalued introverts - just think of powerful leaders like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, who have succeeded despite their more subdued personalities. Ultimately, it's not about whether you're an introvert, extrovert (or an ambivert!). Cultivating awareness of and embracing your personality type (rather than working against it) will enhance how effectively you work collaboratively with hers. In Idition, are a few important qualities that characterise successful team-players. Here are 10 ways to up your game at work. 

1 Show genuine commitment