Effective Team Players

Personality is a term that describes the characteristics and patterns of our thought and behaviour. Essentally, it is what makes each person unique. The characteristics around personality can be studied in different ways, and are usually attributed to genetics, environment, and experience of the individual.

Perhaps, one of the most well recognised theories about the representation of personality comes from Carl Jung’s personality types. Jung described two main types of character —extrovert and introvert— each with their own traits. On top of these, Jung identified four basic psycological functions: to think, sense, feel, and perceive. Combinations of these result in the 8 classical personality types.

With this in mind, Jung explained that personality types were not isolated and categorical. Instead, a type is a category in which people have similar —although not necessarily the same— characteristics. In the same way, a person migh express any of the types in different situations. However, one of them is prevalent and dominant.

Player Styles

Similar to how general personality types manifest in an individual, different styles of team players do as well. Each one of them contributes to the team in a different way and, just like before, all of them might be present in a person although one of them will be more prominent.

Contributor

The contributor is the team member that carries out their work based on the tasks that the team must complete. To do so, they freely share all relevant information that they possess and the team might need.

In their search to complete all asignments, they will accept responsability for all actions, even those out of their work scope.

Contributors have a clear set of priorities and will work for the team. They will take on to make great presentations for their coworkers and will volunteer to provide technical training for others.

Collaborator

Collaborators focus on long-term goals of the team, which allows them to help and encourage the team to stablish plans so as the goals are mte.

They are always flexible and open to new ideas, making them supportive members of the team that will never share negative comments about others.

Communicator

Communicators are the memebers of the team that focus on the day to day processes. They try to solve problems in the team and listen to all the viewpoints to get the broad picture.

They serve as the anchor point for others to take part in discussions, and will encourage all the members of the team to get to know each other beyond the workspace.

Communicators can receive feedback while satying calm and without becoming defensive. They are joyful people that will help the team relax and have fun.

Challenger

Challengers are team members that are willing to openly disagree with the team. They will share their personal opinions and push the team to maintain ethical standards.

Challengers are the most honest in the team, and will make it their task to make sure that reporting of problems and progress of the team is always accurate and true.