Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Six Different Types of Team Players - Which Type Are You?

Many studies are conducted every year to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of personality and type of team player. Do different types of team players have an edge? If they all possessed more or less the same skills, then multitude facets of the project or assignment will be hard to tackle and the whole exercise of assembling the team will be defeated.

A team is never homogeneous and it never should be for it to succeed. The essence of an organizational team is the variety of skill sets they bring to the table. Different types of team players, each chips in with their own individual skills or domain knowledge to bear on the task and to finish it with efficiency and expertise.

Analytical team members:

While one team member may be very good at analytical skills, the other may be able to organize and collate information and data in a cohesive manner.

Communication Experts:

Still another player may be very good at articulating and communicating difficult concepts and strategy to all.

Strategy & planning think tanks:

Some are very good at strategizing and making plans on the drawing board, and another very adept at executing and taking it off the ground.

Team leaders & captains:

Some are very good leaders, having great vision and projecting the goals and targets to be achieved, sharing that vision and at making the goal as a common goal for all in the team.

Hard workers & finishers:

There are team workers who are happy to follow instructions and work like a horse around an assignment and win hearts and appreciation with their stint of hard work.

Difficult & problematic type:

Their may be others who may be domineering, aggressive and go getter type riding roughshod over all others around them.

Much like a soccer team or a basketball team, the people working together on a job, must seamlessly and without friction gel with each other and constantly proceed towards a common end. The difference in skills, knowledge, mental composition, personal traits and personality type actually helps the project to reach its logical conclusion more efficiently and effectively.

The whole is only a sum of its part and to find a total or holistic solution, differently skilled team players are more of a necessity than a pain. The key player is the team leader who holds all the spokes of the wheel to the wheel frame and ensures that the destination is the goal and motto of all concerned.

By : Takuya_Hikichi

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