Be a Team Player

Being a team player does not necessarily mean doing everything for everyone at the office. A team is a group of individuals working toward a common goal, and each member of that team has a specific job to do in order to accomplish that goal.

Real estate agent job coach Verl Workman, in his piece "The Ultimate Team," outlines seven different roles and responsibilities on a real estate sales team vital to the success of the office. Each team player has clearly defined tasks in the office to meet the ultimate goal, which is selling a piece of property. One role is not more important than another because the team concept involves a "one for all, all for one" mentality.

Workman notes the rainmaker is the team leader and the person ultimately responsible for the welfare of the entire team. The rainmaker closes the deal. The administrative assistant answers phones, delivers messages, runs the computer system and does behind-the-scenes work to make the office run smoothly. A buyer's agent caters to the needs of someone buying a home. The transaction coordinator gathers all pertinent information needed for real estate contracts. Listing coordinators produce new listings, update information on existing properties and review sales contracts. A listing partner is a company that helps real estate agents beef up a property, such as a photographer, landscaper or repair contractor. An inside sales associate attempts to gain valued listings by making phone calls and connections to various property owners who may be selling real estate.

Each team player in this hypothetical real estate office works with a client at some point in the sales process. An administrative assistant takes an incoming call from someone who wants to buy a house. Then, a buyer's agent shows the property and works with the seller to negotiate terms of the sale. After the purchaser settles on a house, that person meets with the transaction coordinator to get necessary paperwork in line before the deal closes. If any one of these people do not perform basic job duties, the team fails in its ultimate goal of selling a house.

One key aspect of how team members work well with each other involves passion for the job. A team player who comes to work miserable probably does not care one way or another if the team succeeds. The team leader must choose parts of the team wisely while making the work environment fun and upbeat, ensuring day-to-day operations of the office are just as rewarding as the final outcome of a sale.

In some industries, the buzzword "team player" is overused since teamwork does not necessarily define someone's work ability. A team works well when independent skills combine to create a successful office. Teamwork is almost a given in the business world, and perhaps the concept is redundant. Because each person has different roles and responsibilities, an individual may not prove his or her worth right away.

Just like the real estate office model, not everyone may be cut out to be a team player. Sometimes, a business owner simply likes to work alone. Teams can be a great asset to a business professional if that person can convince others that the ultimate goal is a worthy accomplishment.

Photo courtesy of World Development Movement at Flickr.com