8 Teamwork Skills Every Team Member Should Have (2023)

The importance of teamwork skills is especially brought to our attention when we find ourselves in a team that just can't get any work done.

In most cases, effective communication seems impossible, everyone is confused, and the originally set goals are far from being achieved. This often leads to conflict in the workplace and poor results.

The truth is that working with other people is not as easy as working alone.

However, developing and improving your teamwork skills will not only make working with your current team much easier, but will also make your resume shine among other candidates when they are looking for a new job.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at teamwork skills: what they mean, what the different types are, and how you can improve these key skills.

What are teamwork skills? Definition and meaning

Teamwork skills are an umbrella term for individual soft skills that constitute the ability to work effectively in a group environment.

They include both basic social skills and more specific teamwork skills.

Some examples of teamwork skills are active listening, critical thinking, organizational skills and the ability to give honest feedback or delegate tasks.

Intrinsic motivation, a personal preference for teamwork and a collective rather than individualistic approach are also highly desirable qualities.

Additionally, having an average to high level of the Big Five traits of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness is best for teamwork.

Types of teamwork skills and examples

Teamwork skills are different and relate to different learned abilities and even to some aspects of a person's personality.

Positive team dynamics are achieved when the whole team cooperates, communication is effective and conflicts are easily resolved.

As a result, teamwork flows more smoothly and goals are more likely to be met. Here are some of the most valuable individual skills that make working with a team easier.

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Effective team communication is the number one key to success. Maintaining an open and supportive communication style is the foundation of good teamwork.

at havecommunication skillsmeans being able to communicate clearly and effectively, so that the message, the medium and the recipient are taken into account.

• Listening skills
• Presentation skills
• Share feedback
• Responsiveness
• Conversational skills

Conflict management

The ability to manage conflict and solve problems while promoting positive and beneficial interactions are essential interpersonal skills in teamwork.

It's also always great to look for suitable winning strategies that make the whole team happy.

• Problem solving skills
• Conflict management logical argument
• Mediation
• Flexibility
• Solution-based thinking
• Consensus-driven decision-making

Active listening

By using your active listening skills, the speaker knows that you are paying attention to what they are saying and that you understand their message correctly.

Active listening techniques that show you are engaged in the conversation include:

• clarifying questions
• maintain proper eye contact
• be aware of non-verbal communication
• summarize and paraphrase

Interpersonal awareness

Interpersonal awareness refers to being aware of your teammates' reactions and attitudes and understanding why they behave the way they do.

Paying attention to body language, tone of voice and facial expressions is the key to better understanding verbal messages.

Likewise, having a high level of emotional intelligence is a highly desirable teamwork skill, as you must constantly deal with other people and their idiosyncrasies.

• Attention to non-verbal cues
• High emotional intelligence
• Interpersonal skills

Cooperation

This is an important teamwork skill. To achieve a common goal, teammates must cooperate with each other.

It means working together in a synergistic way and helping each other in a way that everythingteam members' weaknesses are covered and strengths are strengthened.

• Synergy
• It provides support
• Complementary skills

Reliability

Teammates must be able to trust each other for the team to function effectively. This means that you and your colleagues mutually trust each other, that you are able to solve individual tasks and perform quality work on time.

• Reliability
• Obligation
• Responsibility
• Building relationships

Compassion

Qualities such as empathy, altruism, patience and tolerance can really make it easier to work and maintain good relationships with teammates.

Being supportive, accepting criticism, accepting negative feedback, and being able to handle frustrations while maintaining a positive attitude are highly respectable skills.

• Heat
• Friendship
• Problems with waiters
• Open minded

Organisation

When leading a team, being organized and good at planning and coordinating are key skills you need to have.

Effectively delegating tasks, clarifying roles and establishing fair workloads will lead to better overall group performance. An organized team is a team that gets the job done.

• Leadership ability
• Planning skills
• Time management skills
• Organizational skills
• Project management skills
• Set goals
• Team building

How you can improve your teamwork skills in the workplace

Modern organizations are increasingly leaning towards teams as the work structure of choice. This is because it is known that collaboration, when high performing, increases the overall quality of the product. This is why employers strive to hire candidates with good teamwork skills.

There are several ways you can develop and improve themsoft values. Below are some steps you can take in this direction.

Feedback

Receiving objective and relevant feedback is a good way to become aware of which areas need improvement. Ask your teammates what they think your strengths and weaknesses are. From there, you can improve your performance as a team player by focusing on your strengths and working on your weaknesses.

Observational learning

Pay special attention to the employees who you consider to be the most skilled in teamwork. Ask their advice and note their behavior and attitudes, then try to assimilate them into your own interactions with the group. You will spontaneously improve your teamwork skills and even develop new ones.

Praxis

If you want to improvehard skills or soft skills, it doesn't happen overnight. Practice makes perfect, and by participating more in teamwork and communicating with new colleagues, you become soft andhard skillsused well when solidifying them as well as building relationships.

Set goals

Setting specific and challenging but achievable goals can be a powerful tactickeep you and your team motivatedand targeted. Allow your colleagues' feedback to guide you in setting goals and achieving them, but don't forget self-control, which is also an important skill to have.

Why it's important to promote strengths in teams

As described in strengths theory, people are more likely to thrive when they choose to focus on their strengths and qualities rather than their vulnerabilities.

The same applies to people who work in teams. If everyone works to their strengths, they bring the best parts of themselves to the team and therefore make it much more effective.

Below are some actions you can take to improve your strengths in teams:

• Highlight skills and strengths, not weaknesses
• Choose team members with complementary strengths
• Offer support to your teammates
• Work together if your strengths are aligned
• Provide strength-focused feedback
• Recognize and praise the achievements of your colleagues

Team building with Belbin team roller

Even if you have excellent collaboration skills, you won't get very far if you're part of a poorly assembled team.

It is true that skilled team members with goodinterpersonal skillsthey are the building blocks of good, functional teams. But thoughtful team building (which is a skill in itself) is essential if you want to form an effective work group.

Building a team successfully is not an easy task, but using the Belbin Team Rolls framework certainly helps build better teams.

Belbin's theory is based on the premise that for a team to be effective, certain key roles must be fulfilled.

Team members' strengths and weaknesses are assessed through a self-perception inventory, and the results place everyone in their most appropriate role.

Three different categories – social, thinking and acting – branch out into Belbin's nine team roles, each linked to the big five dimensions.

SOCIAL ROLES

Team player– versatile and cooperative team player who responds to the needs of his team members while ensuring that the team remains cohesive with his diplomatic nature.

Coordinator– a person-oriented and trusting leader with strong delegation skills who assigns tasks and sets concrete goals for the team.

Resource Explorer– a curious and innovative person who develops useful contacts and explores new opportunities.

ROLE THINKING

Plante– a highly creative and brilliant person who is responsible for generating new ideas and has good problem solving and presentation skills.

Monitor Reviewer– a cautious person who monitors the performance of the team and who can impartially evaluate colleagues and their work.

Specialist- a dedicated person who contributes to the team with his expertise and knowledge, helping with technical issues related to their area.

ACTION ROLES

Shaper– a goal-oriented person who is dynamic and energetic, responsible for keeping the team focused and motivated.

Implementer– a very practical and organized person who can effectively translate ideas into actions thanks to his strategic and logical skills.

Final finisher– a meticulous, detail-oriented person who is responsible for fine-tuning and ensuring that the final result is flawless.

A strengths-based perspective on teamwork

A team is by definition a group of individuals working together. Each team member has his own set of strengths that make his contribution to the team unique.

Through the blending of these complementary, individual strengths, performance enhancements and team goals are achieved. You definitely have to keep this in mind if you put together a team.

In fact, if you take a closer look at Belbin's team roles, you'll see that each one is based on different strengths along with allowed weaknesses.

SOCIAL ROLES

Team player

• Strength: Collaborative, diplomatic and perceptive.
• Allowed weaknesses: Avoids conflict and is sometimes indecisive.

Coordinator

• Strength: Mature, confident and able to recognize talent.
• Allowed weaknesses: Can be seen as manipulative and can relieve their own part of the work.

Resource Explorer

• Strength: Outgoing and enthusiastic.
• Allowed weaknesses: Maybe too optimistic and can easily lose interest.

ROLE THINKING

Plante

• Strength: Creative, imaginative, thinks outside the box.
• Allowed weaknesses: Ignores side incidents and inability to communicate effectively.

Monitor Evaluator

• Strength: Strategic, sober and insightful.
• Allowed weaknesses: Lack of motivation and ability to inspire others and excessive criticism.

Specialist

• Strength: Dedicated, independent and self-starter
• Allowed weaknesses: Contributes on a narrow front and dwells on technical details.

ACTION ROLES

Shaper

• Strength: Challenging, dynamic and able to withstand pressure.
• Allowed weaknesses: He may be prone to provocation and may offend.

Implementer

• Strength: Reliable, practical and efficient.
• Allowed weaknesses: Can be inflexible and wary of new opportunities.

Final finisher

• Strength: Careful, caring and dutiful.
• Allowed weaknesses: Reluctant to delegate and overly concerned.

Additional tip: examples of how to describe and highlight your teamwork skills in your resume

When it comes to applying for a new job, you always want to make a good first impression. A well-written CV that is specific, concise and highlights your best qualities is a good way to do this.

When including your teamwork skills in your resume or cover letter, keep the following in mind:

Use keywords

Most large companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to easily screen their candidates. These systems scan resumes for specific keywords that translate into desirable skills for the position they are offering.

Accordingly, when writing your resume, try to describe your teamwork skills using keywords mentioned in the job posting. You will definitely increase your chances of getting an interview.

Keep it relevant

A good rule of thumb: always tailor your CV to the job you are applying for. Keep the relevant skills and leave out the unrelated ones. Also, don't forget to emphasize the skills needed for the job.

By keeping your CV short, easy to read and specific to the specific position you are applying for, you will earn points from recruiters.

Describe as achievements

Describing your teamwork skills by giving examples, such as past achievements and life experience, is like proving to the recruiter that you actually possess all these skills.

Be specific and describe them using measurable results if applicable. Citing these examples where you have discovered these particular skills also shows that you have confidence in your work and abilities.

Frequently asked questions about teamwork skills

How would you describe your teamwork skills?

Teamwork skills can be described using several strategies. One way to describe them is to be specific. Teamwork skills cover a wide range of abilities. Ask yourself what specific skills you have in mind or are trying to learn more about.

For example, you can focus on communication, empathy, leadership or any other skill related to teamwork. To describe how well you use that skill, try asking your employees or colleagues.

Track how productive you are and what results you achieve to further quantify your leadership skills.

What are the 3 important skills for teamwork and collaboration?

In general, there are 3 important skills to keep in mind when working in a team. These 3 skills are trust, tolerance and self-awareness. The latter is important because it helps you effectively delegate tasks based on skills and strengths. It also makes you more receptive to feedback.

Tolerance is essential because it allows you to put aside prejudices so that you can work together towards a common goal. Finally, trust is necessary because it is the foundation of any relationship. Without trust, your colleagues may not want to work with you.

General conclusion about teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are highly valued to increase the group's performance and the quality of results. Therefore, most employers are looking to hire candidates with strong teamwork skills to build their teams. This is why you should focus on improving these key skills.

You can do this by receiving constructive feedback, learning by observing, setting personal goals and practicing your collaborative skills.

But for a team to be successful, the individual strengths of the team members must complement each other well, which is why thoughtful team building is so important.