How to Tell If Someone is Really a Team Player

Seasoned human resource professionals and sharp hiring managers spend more time listening, than talking. Listening is a key tool for increasing the chances of selecting the right person.

Listen to how many times a person uses the word "I", as s/he is speaking. This immediately indicates how much a person really walks the walk, when s/he talks the talk about being a team player. The word "I" indicates it's about what "I" need - what "I" want - "I" am the most important person on the team. The over use of the words "I" and "me" are red flags for how well people will actually mesh with other team members. Can we spell "tension"?

Team players use the words "we", "us" and "our". In business and personal relationships, these words have a high impact on the longevity of positive interaction between 2 or more people. Disagreements are minimized or are resolved in a more amicable manner.

Many "I" people still slip through and get hired. At least this little acid test arms us with powerful business intelligence, to prepare for the future.

As a business owner, using "I", "me", "my" and "mine" is a dead give away. You just let a potential client know how big your company is. They now know it's just you. The comfortable level of people purchasing products and services is directly proportional to how large the vendor company is perceived to be. Hearing "We", "Us" and "Our", from a business owner, will exponentially make a potential client feel more at ease, in doing business with a single person company.

When my wife gets a parking ticket and tells me "We" have an issue, my response is "No, YOU have an issue, which you created. You will pay the parking ticket fine". There are times when using the pronouns "We", "Us" and "Our" are not appropriate, if you are trying to influence a person into doing something that is self serving.

So my wife paid the parking ticket fine, but she still continues to use "We", "Us" and "Our".

Copyright (c) 2004 - 2008 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR