The Loner’s Guide to Becoming a Surprisingly Inspirational Team Player

Are you one of those weird people who likes to work alone?

Was the work you consider to be a cornerstone, a masterpiece, or maybe even your magnum opus created while you were locked in a room with no people in sight?

Well chances are that others notice your autonomous ways when you don’t have the luxury of solitude—and you’re probably unaware.

So when our extrovert-loving culture pushes yet another team project, you not only have to prepare for the task at hand, you also have to fight the stigma surrounding every lone wolf who quietly goes about their business:

The reason you work alone is because you obviously hate everyone else.
You don’t talk when it’s time to work because you’d rather not hear opinions from the feeble-minded.
And your face’s lack of emotion during professional activity is clear evidence that you are a psychopath.

Yes, this is what you must overcome.

If it were up to you or I, the overemphasis on teamwork would be a thing of the past, and the number of objectives that require a team would be whittled down to the few that actually need it—in this case, just life or death situations. But this is a far cry from the world we live in.

So what’s the best choice of action when you can’t change the system?

It’s simple: You adapt to it.

Because the not-so-fortunate truth is that teamwork will play a dominant role in your life.

Group projects aren’t going anywhere soon. Your career will most likely be defined by how you fit in a team role. And any family you have now is dependent on the sum of its parts.

Sure, teamwork can lead to disaster if not handled appropriately, but it can also lead to the type of accomplishment and camaraderie that’s foreign to any one person.

That’s why I wrote this post today. I wanted to convince my fellow introverts that teams aren’t all that bad. And I’ve put together a few actions you can take to not only survive in a team atmosphere, but also inspire the teammates who see you as nothing more than a hermit.

So keep these points in mind when going solo isn’t an option:

Hit Your Numbers

First things first: You have to hit your numbers.

It doesn’t matter how you feel, it doesn’t matter if your teammates hate you, and it doesn’t matter if you’re bored out of your mind…

Just. Do. Your. Job.

The ire of every team is directed towards the weak link. And you do not want to be that person.

No one is asking you to do more than what your capable of anyway. They just want you to be reliable:

If you say you’re going to do something, do it.
If you accept a role within the team, produce.
And if you know you have a deadline, meet it.

loner guide team hit numbers — Do what you do, rain or shine.

This is teamwork 101 man, but we all know those people who expect the group to carry them—and that attitude has nothing to do with intelligence.

Whether you’re dumb, smart, rich, or poor, you have to bring the effort. Because when people say they want high energy teammates, what they really mean is they want people who try.

So stay solid on the small things first. The way you handle those will convince others to trust you with the big stuff later.

…Then Pile It On

Finished taking care of the bare minimum?

Good.

Now go further beyond.

The people who inspire others to action always do more than what’s required. They don’t stop with good enough or better than average. They push as far as they can without any thought to the comparisons others use to justify mediocrity.

So if you’ve finished your work for the day, plan for the week ahead. Think of any info the team might need to succeed. Look for ways to make your job more efficient while you have the hours to spare.

Real success isn’t just meeting an objective, it’s getting to the point where you can handle much more.

Sure, rest is still important, and by no means should you hop on the hamster wheel of always stressing to get ahead. But there’s no need to kick your feet up, wipe your brow, and relax after you’ve finished the smallest requirement.

Do what you came to do and then add a little to your plate. Demanding more of yourself is the easiest way to inspire others to do the same.

Go Ahead, Run Your Mouth

If I had to name my biggest weakness as a teammate, it would be my lack of communication.

The quality of my words isn’t the issue—at least I’d hope not after putting thousands of them on this site. It’s more of a consistency thing.

I get so deep in projects sometimes that I forget to eat. And the production I generate once I’m caught up to speed is mechanical…

But you’ll probably never hear about it.

That’s somewhat of a good thing since my words never hinder my progress. But as every other introvert knows, this silence drives people mad.

We live in a world where all the info we need is at our fingertips. And within seconds, we can research topics that used to require a trip to the library. So when people see you in a corner not saying a word, you frustrate them more than dial-up internet.

You have to keep your teammates in the loop. All the work you’ve put in won’t matter if they don’t know about it.

I know communication is one those dry details that doesn’t energize anyone, but trust me, the teammate who gets his stuff done and then let’s everyone know will be embraced more than the lone wolf ever will. And while I don’t necessarily agree with that, it is the way it is.

That’s why status reports should be routine—especially if issues will arise.

If you know you’ll miss a deadline, tell a team member before the date. And if you need help from the rest of the group, there’s nothing wrong with asking. People go out of their way to help those who give their best effort.

It’s admirable to try and carry the load by yourself. But if you really need help, just ask.

Trust (Until You Can’t)

The benefit of the doubt.

It’s a concept shrouded in controversy. And for any person who’s built the competence to act on their own, it’s laughable.

But there is good reason to trust others—to an extent.

On one hand, you can’t expect the same effort, responsibility, or excellence across the board. But on the other, you can’t genuinely encourage others if don’t trust them.

Teamwork is a wonderful thing when the team actually works together, but you need to discern which people have no intention of doing that.

So always start with the assumption that your teammates won’t be deadweight, but if they prove they can’t play their role, feel free to take over and do what’s best for the group.

You can’t allow one person to destroy everyone’s progress. So either have a talk with any slackers before they cause real damage, or get things rolling with the members who do contribute.

You only have yourself to blame if you trust people who clearly don’t deserve it.

Ruffle Some Feathers

I hate groupthink.

It is by far the biggest reason why I despised teamwork in the past. You can just feel when groupthink grips its fingers into the collective mind of the team.

It starts innocent enough as each member smiles and nurtures a judgment-free atmosphere, but it quickly devolves into a room full of yes-men nodding in agreement with the loudest talker.

And there are multiple reasons why this occurs:

#1 Laziness: Work requires effort. And most people take the route that requires the least of it.

The solution: Prepare, prepare, prepare. The extra effort you put in up front will cause a substantial drop in your workload later.

#2 Fear: We stress the “it’s who you know” idea so much that we’ve produced a talentless generation without backbones.

The solution: Be assertive without being obnoxious. Your ideas are useless if you’re too scared to challenge the status quo.

#3 Carelessness: This is related to laziness but different. Plenty of hard workers don’t care about doing the job right, they only care about getting it done.

The solution: Find your need. Needs can’t be ignored without experiencing pain. And if you’re need is real, your gut will eat at you until you’re forced to do what’s right.

The main idea here is to challenge yourself, and then challenge others. That’s how you stop groupthink in its tracks.

Be the person who brings up potential conflicts no one’s mentioned. Review any key “facts” for errors. And remember to keep team actions aligned with the project’s limited scope.

Yes, you’ll hear some groans at first, but the team will appreciate it later on. No one likes the devil’s advocate until he or she is the reason they dodged a bullet.

So always care, challenge, and prepare.

Doing that will keep you from saying “yes” and lead to a meaningful discussion.

Know the Rules

A wise man once said you only had to know three rules to be a great teammate:

It ain’t about you.
It ain’t about you.
And it ain’t about you.

Your ambitions died when you joined the team. The only thing you should care about is doing all you can to help everyone reach the goal.

Yeah, it’s cliche to say there’s no I in team, but it’s cliche for a reason. People who value team success over their own bring joy to everyone around. And it’s those people who are ironically the ones who see the most personal achievement as well.

Remember that you want to propel others to action, and the only way to do that is to put their needs ahead of your own.

Who cares what they thought about you before? It doesn’t matter if you’re not the stereotypical leader.

If there’s one thing I learned from my boring finance class in college, it’s that the past can be a horrible predictor of the future.

So don’t worry about your reputation—public opinion doesn’t dictate how you live your life. Forget all that and be the spark who gives all for all.

Once you do that, your teammates will never look at you the same.