Being an effective team player who can work well with others to achieve a group or organisational goal is more important than ever in our interdependent and changing world.

However, true team players are surprisingly uncommon, in part because many organisations are unclear on what being a team player actually means.

Leaders, often say they want team players, but can’t clearly define the individual qualities they’re looking for.

In The Ideal Team Player, business guru Patrick Lencioni describes the model team player and explains how to develop current employees into team players and make sure you hire team players in the future.

He defines three essential qualities or “virtues” the ideal team player has —humility, hunger or drive, and people skills.

In organisations where collaboration is crucial, the right people, and that includes both leaders and employees, are ideal team players who are humble, hungry, and smart. While the virtues sound simple, developing and living them is more complicated.  Many people have one or more of the qualities, but fewer possess all three.

A team member who lacks just one quality can hold back or derail a team.

So assessing the traits and then putting in place the appropriate coaching and development for individuals is important for organisational long term success.’

For help in assessing as well as appropriate coaching and development of individuals then talk us at TOOJAYS Training and HR Consultancy Ltd and let us help you achieve your team and organisational goals.