by Margaret Telsch-Williams

Created on: January 31, 2009

It's always helpful to have someone around the office that is willing to take on a little more work to help others out, or to complete a project by a deadline. Being a team player can not only be a personally rewarding experience, but also, will get you noticed around the office. While being a team player is a great characteristic, if you are the "ready to lend a hand" person, make sure you don't spread yourself too thin. There's a delicate balance to be found in the person that can succeed at pitching in and finishing their own work at the same time. To strike a balance between the two remember this phrase, "bite off more than you can chew, but not so much that you choke."

If you sign up for too much extra, or are too agreeable to take on other people's work, you run the risk of not only being taken advantage of, but also becoming run down or trampled by your colleagues. This could eventually lead to you feeling constant stress at work (or at home) or being fired for nonproduction. On the flip side, if you don't take on extra loads now and then, you may be seen as someone that isn't part of the whole, or doesn't care about helping their coworkers. This isn't such a great attribute when evaluation time comes, you ask for a raise, or you apply for a promotion.

However, don't sign up for more than you think you can reasonably do. Don't offer to complete Bob's report for him, but you can print/email/fax him the documents he needs to do it. Now, remember our phrase? If you start feeling like you're choking, that's a red alert. Start throwing some tasks overboard because you're taking on water. The last thing you want to do is wear yourself out. It is called work for a reason, but you don't want writing your resignation letter to be the last thing you do at the end of the day either.

Knowing how to be a team player is sometimes complex and sometimes easy. Sometimes your job may create an atmosphere of teamwork while others don't always allow for the opportunity.As a team player, you should always try to exert yourself slightly over the line of your comfort zone. Don't settle for the same old, ho-hum of 9-5. Push yourself when you're there (you spend most of your waking life at work anyway, live it). If you can, make it a challenge to chip in and put a little pressure on yourself to do your job with quality and take some burden off of those around you who are sinking. Who knows, they might return the favor one day.

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