Whatever job you have, chances are you work with other people. Unless you are a one man band, you will liaise with other professionals to get your job done. So, it stands to reason that you need to use a selection of teamwork skills in your everyday working life.
But what are they and why do they matter? When you’re writing your resume, you may well get caught up in focusing on the hard skills of the role. Often known as technical skills, these are the competencies that apply directly to the position. However, overlooking soft skills and teamwork skills is a mistake. Without them, you simply cannot excel in your workplace.
Here at Resume.io, we want to help you supercharge your career. In the following writing guide, we will be delving into the best team work skills and how you can utilize them to empower your professional life. You can expect us to cover the following topics:
- What teamwork skills are exactly
- Why you need to have solid teamwork skills
- 13 teamwork skills examples
- How you can boost your teamwork skills
What are teamwork skills?
First up, let’s talk about what teamwork skills are. These are the competencies that allow you to collaborate with your fellow workers. Whether that means working together on a team project, liaising with one another, or simply getting along, these skills are vital to your everyday success.
As we have already mentioned, teamwork skills are often soft skills. For example, they may include communication, organization, and time management. Later in this guide, we will be looking at some of the most high-value teamwork skill examples you can use for inspiration.
The importance of teamwork skills
Before we take a look at some teamwork skill examples, let’s talk about why they are important. When you’re working in any environment, being a team player is vital. With that in mind, here are some of the reasons that teamwork skills matter in any type of professional environment.
Reduce workplace conflict
According to a 2024 report, a massive 85% of employees at all levels experience some type of conflict in the workplace. One way to reduce this risk is by improving your teamwork skills. Learning to work harmoniously with your coworkers can make a colossal difference. Of course, if you are dealing with workplace conflict out of your control, you should also speak to HR.
Become more productive
When you are a team player, it becomes easier than ever to get things done. Working collaboratively will make much of your work easier and faster than before. That is because you can work alongside your colleagues and delegate tasks that are not in your immediate remit. The more you learn to work alongside your team, the more efficient you can all become.
Improve your communication
Communication is the baseline of any working relationship, So, it stands to reason that when you have excellent teamwork skills you will be a pro communicator. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg scenario, as in it’s unclear which comes first. Regardless, being able to clearly and directly communicate your message to professionals is always going to be a huge advantage.
Sense of morale
We won’t beat around the bush—work is better when you get along with the people around you. When a team works well together, there is an increased sense of morale in the workplace. If you want to enjoy the work that you do on a daily basis, taking the time to boost your teamwork skills may be the answer. Both you and your colleagues will benefit from this move.
13 Top teamwork skills examples
Now that we have covered why you need to possess teamwork skills, let's take a look at some examples. While there are many competencies that will help you to work with others, we are choosing to focus on the most common and valuable ones. Here are 13 to consider for yourself.
1. Communication
It should come as no surprise that communication is the number one teamwork skill example. Nearly 70% of professionals would be more effective if they had better communication in the workplace. With that in mind, we each have an obligation to improve the way in which we communicate with others on an everyday basis. You should consider the following:
- How you get your point across to coworkers
- Whether you are listening to them
- How you deal with different opinions
- The feedback you get on your communication
Improving your communication skills at work may well be a lifelong journey. No matter where you are coming from right now, there are ways in which you can boost this skill-set.
2. Active listening
While we’re on the topic of communication, active listening is a must. Rather than merely waiting for your turn to speak, do you listen to what the other person has to say? Listening skills should be a baseline for our communication. However, these are talents that so many of us lack.
3. Honesty
We all know that deception is a bad move in the workplace. How transparent you are when you are speaking to your coworkers matters. You want to do everything that you can to build a level of trust between yourself and the people that you work with. Of course, this type of reputation takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. If you want to boost your teamwork skills, you need to make sure that you practice a level of honesty each day. Doing so could make all the difference.
4. Empathy
Empathy is defined as being able to not only understand, but feel someone else’s point of view. When you work in a large team of people, you won’t always see eye to eye. That in itself is normal. However, if you have the ability to empathize with your colleagues, you will work better with them. With that in mind, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you strive to understand where people are coming from?
- Can you put yourself in other people’s shoes?
- Do you take on board other people’s feelings?
People who have high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) find empathy comes naturally to them. But this is a teamwork skill that you can learn, too. If you often find it hard to see other’s perspectives, try making it your mission to better get to know where they are coming from.
5. Respectfulness
Are you respectful of other people and, crucially, their opinions? When you work alongside other people, you should always have respect for them. It doesn’t matter what level in your career you have reached. Whether you are managing workers or simply working alongside them, you need to make sure that you are taking this approach at all times. That involves the following:
- Listening to people’s opinions
- Taking on feedback (and using it)
- Being calm in difficult scenarios
- Thinking the best of other people
When you are respectful toward others, it shows in all aspects of your working life. If you struggle with this teamwork skill, it may be worth looking into training opportunities.
6. Accountability
One of the hardest teamwork skills you can learn is becoming accountable for your actions. Do you take ownership of your mistakes? Are you willing to hold your hands up and say “I made a mistake”? If the answer is yes, then you are someone who is ready to be accountable. Often enough, the reason that people find this difficult is because they are afraid of how others will react. When your company has a good workplace culture, that should never be an issue.
7. Creativity
Whenever you are working as part of a team, creativity comes into play. You can use this skill in a selection of situations. Hiring managers are particularly interested in this skill as it means that you will be able to work closely with your team to get the job done. When you approach things in a creative way, it means that you employ the following approaches:
- Using creativity to problem solve
- Thinking “outside the box”
- Being curious and asking questions
While some people are naturally creative, others have to work harder to hone this skill. Look for ways in which you can boost your creativity so that you can excel in all areas of your work.
8. Problem solving
Solving problems is at the heart of any team project. When you are collaborating with other workers, you need to make sure that you work towards a common goal. That in itself can be difficult. However, when someone is a talented problem solver, they will be able to lead their team toward success. Consider how you happen to approach this task.
9. Decision making
Decision making is also a key part of any role. Every single day you have to make a bunch of important decisions that will affect your company. While we all feel uncertain at times, how you overcome this problem is important. How do you weigh up your options? How well do you communicate with others to come to the best decision? Answering these questions will help you determine what you decision making style is, and whether you can improve it.
10. Delegating
Spoiler: You are not always the best person for the job. When you’re working as part of a team, you will all have different strengths and weaknesses. To harness the power of the entire group, you need to be smart in understanding what each of them are. Whenever a task comes up that’s not entirely in your ballpark, the most effective way to deal with it is to delegate. Get to know your team and identify the areas in which each of you excel.
11. Organization
Organization doesn’t simply mean arranging your calendar well (although that does help!). When you are an organized person, it allows you to work well as part of a team. That is because this teamwork skill involves the following:
- Being on top of your workload
- Communicating well with others
- Prioritizing timely tasks and duties
- Being able to feedback to the team
Luckily, there are plenty of ways that you can enhance your organizational skills. It’s about deciding what works the best for you. You may also want to get some workplace organizational tools, such as Asana, Monday, Toggl, and so on.
12. Self-awareness
How well do you know yourself? While that may sound like an ambiguous question, it is one that you should consider. When you are working as a group, it’s important to understand your own personality. You should also consider how you come across to others and what your work style is. The better you know yourself, the easier you will find it is to collaborate with others. You might find that it is helpful to take one of the top career aptitude tests to understand yourself.
13. Time management
Do other people rely on you in your workplace? The last thing you want is to keep people waiting. Ensuring you have time management skills is non-negotiable. That means making sure that you deliver your tasks on time and give other people the best chance in theirs. Think about the ways that you organize your time and whether you can make some simple improvements.
How to improve your teamwork skills
Ready to improve your teamwork skills? No matter how many of the above you have checked off, there’s always room for improvement. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can do that:
- Ask for feedback. When you have a one-on-one with your manager or supervisor, seize the opportunity to gain some constructive feedback. You may choose to ask them directly about your teamwork style and find out the ways in which you can improve.
- Learn from others. Whenever you work with colleagues, you get the chance to learn something new. Watch how your coworkers approach the task of working with each other. You may find that you have something to gain from their approach.
- Attend training sessions. You should always look for opportunities to train and develop. If there is a session available at your company, don’t be afraid to take it. You can even go one step further and ask your manager about any courses.
- Dive into collaborative tasks. Do you naturally shy away from working as part of a team? If so, you may be missing out on the chance to strengthen your teamwork skills. Whenever there is the chance to work with others, be sure to take it.
As you can see here, there are many ways that you can improve your teamwork skills. It’s all about keeping your eyes open and looking out for opportunities to hone your craft.
Key takeaways
- Teamwork skills are non-negotiable. You need a strong skill-set regardless of your profession or your level.
- When you have strong teamwork skills, you will be more productive, have a better work life, and gain more from your career.
- The top teamwork skill examples include communication, time management, respectfulness, and problem solving.
- Whenever possible, look for ways in which you can improve your teamwork skills.
