Want to be a good team player? Check out what you need to do.

5 ways to become a better colleague and good team player
You already know that being a good team player is one of the soft skills employers always look out for in a job applicant. This is one quality that makes you a top performer who gets easily noticed in an organization.

Your ability to play and get along with others makes you a valuable employee to the company and your colleagues. It also sets you up for success in your career.

So, how do you become the colleague everyone want around them? Check out these five tips on how to become a good team player and better colleague.

1. Appreciate your colleague

5 things every interviewer expects you to know when coming for a job interview

Appreciating your colleagues helps you to build stronger relationships with them and at the same time helps you get better results in your work. Give them credits when necessary and celebrate them in their successes.

2. Be open minded

Establish yourself as an unbiased colleague who is open to other people’s ideas, perspectives and criticisms. To achieve this, you'll have to improve on your listening skills and take feedbacks from your colleague nicely. A good team player takes constructive criticism from co-workers without getting defensive unnecessarily.

3. Always meet your deadlines

Always try to meet deadlines.

Every organization works with a deadline. Don't be the one that always gives excuses for not completing a task on time. Make yourself that special employee that produces high-quality work in a timely fashion. Trust me, this will help you to earn the goodwill of your colleagues and bosses

4. Don't involve yourself in office politics

There's politics everywhere. There's politics in everything. There is politics in your office but you don't have to be a part of it. Office politics can create a toxic work environment.
If you have an issue with a colleague, settle it with the person. Don't be too quick to drag the Human Resources manager into everything. Also, don't be the office rumour mill that spreads all gossips. Respect yourself. Respect your colleagues.

5. Focus on the team’s goals

Avoid these mistakes when you go for a job interview.

One of the main reasons why employers want a team player is to have an employee who'll be keenly interested in achieving the team's and the organization's goals. And for you to establish yourself as a good team player, it's important you play a key role in all your team's projects.