Tip: Eight Ways to Transition Individual Contributors to Team Players

Every manager hopes to work with individual contributors who are highly competent and motivated. There is a stark difference however between a group of self-centered individual contributors and a cohesive team. Here are eight ideas for you to set staff expectations and a framework to help you coach individual contributors into team players.

1. Encourage listening:

• Listen to what others have to say before forming an opinion. This sets the stage for creative thinking.
• Allow others a chance to express their thoughts without interruption.
• Avoid distractions, like looking at emails, papers on your desk, or listening to earbuds.
• Listen with an open mind.
• Ask questions to surface concerns and produce a constructive dialogue.
  
  2. Avoid revolving every conversation around yourself:
  
• Minimize I and my statements.
• Avoid the urge to talk about yourself.
• Encourage others to open up.
  
  3. Practice empathy:
  
• What would it be like to be in the other person's situation?
• What would be needed if you were the other person?
  
  4. Compromise can be synergistic. It is not a defeat:
  
• Things cannot go your way all the time.
• Compromise requires a choice to believe another person's needs and desires are just as important as your own.
• Choose your battles. Not every issue is a critical one.
• Compromise enables each person to meet some of their needs.
  
  5. No one always has to dominate every conversation or project:
  
• Try letting someone else take the lead when you are collaborating on a project.
• Avoid attempts to speak on behalf of others. Let others speak their mind.
  
  6. Celebrate individual and team successes:
  
• Avoid taking all the credit.
• Offer praise to someone else's achievements when they accomplish a goal or share in the work on a difficult project.
• A culture of praising others helps to connect individuals to a team.
  
  7. Give gratitude when it is deserved:
  
• Make saying thank you a habit.
• Showing gratitude encourages cooperation.
  
  8. Arrange periodic team-building events:
  
• Set team goals.
• Show appreciation for the team's achievement when the goals are met.
• Encourage role-play training exercises.
• Invite a senior manager to address a team meeting to emphasize the importance of the department to the overall company.
• Set up fun events outside of work. These can be virtual or in person.
• Get to know one another beyond the daily routine: Participate in community or charitable events. Share hobbies. Guess whose baby picture is whose. Be creative.
  
  Watch our course on Effective Collaboration Skills for Credit Management to optimize your workflow processes by collaborating with cross-functional teams and making better credit-decision processes.