How To Be A Team Builder

Being a team builder is an important quality in anyone’s life. A team builder doesn’t just come naturally to some people, you have to work at it. You need to understand that other individuals can be very strong and independent, so you must develop your ability to work independently as well as build relationships with others.

This article will talk about how to be a team builder through six different traits. Each of these traits is important for developing teamwork skills. So let’s get started!

Six ways to be a team builder

Let’s look at the things that make up being a team builder. These things are all related, so if you want to improve your team building skills, then you should practice all of them. Here we'll discuss the first trait — empathy.

Make eye contact

Making direct eye contact with someone is one of the most powerful nonverbal behaviors that you can use in your life. It’s also a pretty universal language that everyone understands!

When making an observation or asking for help, break down complex concepts into simple ones so they are more easily understood. Use easy vocabulary and speak slowly if necessary. This way, the other person will have time to process what you say and give good feedback.

By establishing eye contact, you show interest in what others have to say. You make them feel important by giving them attention. At the same time, you get a lot back from them – information and actions.

It’s not only effective when talking, but it works when texting, emailing and posting things online as well. When you don’t look people in the eyes, part of them feels ignored and unimportant.

Make sure your gaze is steady and natural, and keep looking at their face — not beyond it. If their facial expression changes, check out how yours does too.

And remember, even if you aren’t looking directly at someone, just having a slight eye-contact can create strong emotions in others.

Do not invalidate their experience

A team builder does not feel like an expert all the time, which can make them seem very self-conscious or even insecure. They may worry that they do not know something well enough to contribute in a small group of people.

This can be especially difficult when someone else seems way more experienced than them.

Team builders are usually good at articulating things clearly, so they often will try to be the voice of reason and consistency when others are having a bad day.

This can easily backfire if the other person gets offended because they think you are telling them they are wrong.

Never assume that just because someone is older than you is that they have always done everything perfectly.

Ask more questions

Asking good questions is a great way to show interest in other people’s lives, boost your team spirit and contribute towards creating an open environment.

Ask about their family (kids, spouse), what they do for work, how they made it into the top position at company X, what kind of snacks they like and so on.

This will not only give you insights into their personal life but also show them that you are interested in learning more about them.

People who feel appreciated and understood tend to be happier than those who don’t. So go out of your way to make others feel valued.

And while talking about yourself-selfishness is okay once in a while – being selfless is one of the most powerful ways to bring out the best in someone else.

Share your own experiences

One of the biggest reasons people lose motivation in the workplace is because they keep to themselves.

People who avoid interacting with others are usually not very popular. You will find that people stay away from them, or have to ask them multiple times to collaborate on projects.

If you’re more of an introvert, don’t worry! That’s totally okay! Being able to mix with others isn’t necessarily your natural state.

But remember that it’s also important for other people to feel comfortable approaching you as well. They might be too shy to do so otherwise.

By being aware of this, you can make sure that doesn’t happen by engaging in conversation once in a while. Talk about things that both of you know something about, and get some feedback!

Another way to promote team building at your work is by having lunch together with someone outside of the group. This could be a colleague or even a member of higher management.

You would like to see how these relationships develop over time – whether there are any strong bonds or if everyone just ends up eating each other’s food.

Make them feel important

As mentioned before, being a team builder does not mean making people feel good about themselves. It means doing things for other people that make them feel smart or valuable.

People will always have an opinion of you whether they know it or not. The way others perceive you can impact their perception of your job performance, their trust in you, and even how much money they think you earn.

If someone thinks you are a nice person who doesn’t take responsibility for anything, then they may not contribute to the workplace culture because they don’t want to be accused of failing.

On the other hand, if someone believes that you are efficient and hardworking, they may work harder too to keep up with you. This could create an external environment where teamwork is encouraged.

Your colleagues’ perceptions matter – so invest time in creating positive relationships and help teammates by assuming responsibility for their success.

Be authentic

Being a team builder means being yourself. You know what you believe in, so why would you try to imitate someone else? If you want to make people trust you, don’t pretend to be something you’re not.

Be honest. Tell them how you really feel, and ask questions with an open mind. Don’t assume anything – they might surprise you with some information!

By being yourself, your colleagues will get to see the real you which is a good thing because it will help build trust.

It also helps if you realize that not everyone will agree with you. That’s okay! A lot of things are unpopular or even considered wrong. But we all exist within our own bubbles, making us forget that there are other people out there who think differently.

As humans, we develop strong relationships when we share similarities. This can be culture, hobbies, or personality traits. So instead of trying to fit into what others expect from you, find ways to connect with them by introducing new topics and finding common ground.

Ask for help when you need it

A team builder is someone who is able to motivate others through helping them achieve their goals. They are also good at working with people because they understand how to use social skills to promote teamwork.

As mentioned before, being a team builder isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes work and energy to develop these leadership qualities.

But don’t worry! You can pick up some of these traits today.

By putting in an effort to learn more about team building, as well as learning more about other leaders, you will be investing in your career.

And while this may sound like a cliché, it really is true – knowledge is power.

Celebrate small wins

A lot of people get stuck thinking that success comes from being good at something and going after what they want, but it is not. It comes from being able to recognize a successful situation and then working hard to make more of them happen.

This happens every day — you run into an obstacle or challenge, but you work through it well and give your best effort, and then you see another example of how you helped someone achieve their goal.

You may feel like you're talking about a cliché, but I can tell you first hand that this makes you feel happier. You feel accomplished and motivated because you've succeeded in helping someone else succeed.

It's easy to forget that everyone who doesn't have what you have isn't struggling. They might be living their lives without many luxuries, but they probably didn’t wake up one morning with a dream to do something great either.

If we could remember this once in a while, maybe we would realize that we don’t need to feel bad for having been given special opportunities that other people weren’t. At least we made sure there were no gaps in our knowledge.

By putting in the same amount of energy into helping others, even if it's in a tiny way, we'll find ourselves feeling happy and inspired. - How to Be a Team Builder

(source: smileandlearn.