Qualities of a Team Player - RELATIONAL

We are continuing our growth by developing teamwork skills utilizing the lessons contained in John C. Maxwell’s book titled The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. This book carries the subtitle “Becoming the kind of person every team wants”. Developing a better team always begins with the individuals. To improve the team, improve the individuals on the team.

Quality #13: if you get along, others will go along.

"Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. Most of us can trace successes to pivotal relationships." - Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson

"Anyone who loves his opinions more than his teammates will advance his opinions but set back his team." - John C. Maxwell

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." - George MacDonald

"You can't make the other fellow feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that he is a nobody." - Les Giblin

Look for the following five characteristics in your team relationships:

1. Respect
   1. The funny thing about respect is that you should show it to others, even before they have done anything to warrant it, simply because they are human beings. But at the same time, you should always expect to have to earn it from others. And the place you earn it the quickest is on difficult ground.
   2. If you aren't sure about your teammates' hopes, desires, and goals, then you need to ask them. Get to know who they really are by asking the right questions and listening carefully to their answers.
2. Shared Experiences
   1. You can't be relational with someone you don't know. It requires shared experiences among teammates over time.
   2. You will never develop common ground with your teammates unless you share common experiences.
3. Trust
   1. Trust is the foundation of leadership.
4. Reciprocity
   1. For a team to build and improve relationally there has to be give-and-take so that everyone benefits as well as gives.
   2. Work to make connections with teammates.
5. Mutual Enjoyment
   1. When relationships grow and start to get solid, the people involved begin to enjoy each other.
   2. Just being together can turn even unpleasant tasks into positive experiences.

To improve your relationships:

• Focus on others instead of yourself
• Ask the right questions
• Share common experiences
• Make others feel special

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc