SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEAM PLAYER

First, let me start by saying that the earth has been structured to function and operate in teams. Now let me shock you further, the world wasn’t created by God alone,…it was created by his team.

‘ and God said, LET US make man in OUR image and after OUR likeness’ GENESIS. Before that the Holy Spirit, we are told hovered over the deep, before the word went forth.

Secondly, man being designed to look and act like God, was made to function in teams. ‘ it is not good for man to be alone, I will make him another helper’ GENESIS.

Contrary to most of our belief, team work is not limited to sport pitches or work schedules/tasks. No, team work permeates everyday of our every day living. Every man therefore is a potential team player.

Now before you would wonder why you would even want to be a team player, let’s look at some of the essential benefits of team work.

·        Division of labor

·        Pooling of resources

·        Mutual encouragement and motivation

·        Companionship

There we have it, so back to the point of this write-up; what are the characteristics of a good team player?

1.He knows the game: it has been said that when the purpose of a thing is not known, it’s abuse is inevitable. It is therefore pertinent, that at every stage or project of your life, you must know your purpose and your relevance there. A good team player must understand the project at hand, whether it be marriage, ministry, business partnership or a work related task.

2.He knows his teammates: ‘shall two walk together except they agree’ AMOS, Jesus Christ speaking says ‘I and my Father are one’. This basically connotes intimacy. There are no two ways about it, you simply cannot work with someone you don’t know, and I mean a tested and applied knowledge. Knowledge of your teammates helps you draw out their strengths and make up for their excesses.

3.He is willing to share: A good team player must be a lover, a giver and a sharer. Jesus Christ speaking says ‘all that my father has, he has given to me’. Whether it be in the form of ideas in the workplace or valued time in consensual relationships, each team player must be willing to let go and let his team member get.

4.He must sacrifice: ‘for God so loved the world, that He gave us his only begotten son’ JOHN. That same begotten son gave up his only begotten life, both sacrifices made at no small cost. A good team player knows how to put the needs of others above his, especially where it is sure to yield a far weightier glory.

5.He does his best:  A good team player does al he knows to do, suffers long, endures hardships , misunderstanding and sometimes even betrayals by his fellow team mates, but he takes it all in good stride, he ensure that his side of the out put is not affected by all these, he put his best effort to  ensure that the project is carried through.

6.He sees it through: Just before he gave up the ghost, Jesus Christ said ‘it is finished’. A good team player will never pull out of an uncompleted task. It is against his values because it is an ultimate sign of failure. He is in it from start to finish, in his marriage for instance, there is NO such thing as divorce.

7.He gets his credit: team work is always rewarded, and a good team player will always be accorded honor and recognition for the contributions and sacrifices he made.

There is always a reward!

Team work is essential to vital living, you were born alone, granted, but you were not made to function alone.

© Toch Eze. JANUARY 2011