Consistency is the key to being a good teammate. What you consistently think, do, and say impacts your team’s productivity and, ultimately, determines its level of success.
Research has shown that the words and phrases you consistently use when interacting with those whom you are closest—your teammates—influences how you are perceived and how you perceive the world around you.
Here are five impactful things good teammates should say to their fellow teammates every day:
1. Good morning! How enthusiastically you greet your teammates sets the tone for the rest of that day’s interactions. To good teammates, “good” morning isn’t only an extension of well wishes; it’s a declaration of confidence. They are confidently conveying their optimism that this morning will be a good morning.
2. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow! How enthusiastically you greet your teammates is important, but so is how you leave them. Good teammates let their fellow teammates know they are looking forward to their next interaction. They leave others filled with eager anticipation for more.
3. Nice job! Good teammates make it a habit to recognize the commission of good teammate moves—kind, selfless acts that positively impact the team. They seek and seize opportunities to catch their teammates doing something right. And then they reward those actions with words (Nice job!, Way to go!, That’s awesome!, etc.)
4, Thank you! If you can’t find contributions that are worthy of your gratitude, you’re not looking hard enough. Good teammates are genuinely grateful for even the smallest of their teammates’ contributions. Appreciated contributions tend to evolve into repeated contributions. Small sacrifices, unselfish motives, and thoughtfulness deserve your appreciation.
5. How can I help you? This simple question may be the most impactful question you can ask a fellow teammate. Posing it conveys your willingness to serve, an element of humility, and an interest in their problems. How you respond to their answer to this question can elevate your interest in their problem to your investment in their problem.
Consistency is the key to being a good teammate because consistency leads to trust. When others know what to expect from you, they start to trust you.
When your teammates trust that you are excited to see them, eager for their return, happy for their success, grateful for their contributions, and invested in their problems, you set your team up for success.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
