What ATTRIBUTES do you look for in a team member? What is the mix of attributes, traits, skills, and talents that you should gather into your team?

1. EXCELLENT TECHNICAL, PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE

Business projects require professional skills. If it is a shorter project (3 months) you should have a lot of TASK oriented, good technical experts on board; however if the project team is large (more than 8), the duration greater than 6 months then having a few SOCIAL oriented people on board would reduce the interpersonal- communications strain from the project team.

2. GOOD INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Effective interpersonal communication is vital to the smooth functioning of any task team. COMMUNICATION skills -- listening, written and oral, telephone, email -- are an absolute must for each member. CONFLICT handling, negotiating skills are an added advantage. You need to know that each team member trusts, supports, and has genuine concern for other team members.

3. SHARING, GIVING TENDENCY

You want a team member who shares his knowledge and expertise FREELY with team members -- shares openly, with honesty and integrity with others regarding personal feelings, opinions, thoughts, and perceptions about problems and conditions. You also want to make sure team members do not engage in one-upmanship. A perfect team member gives of his time, energy and heart to own and SOLVE the problems that arise during the course of the project..

4. RESPECTS AUTHORITY

Your aim is a team member who has an aura of AUTHORITY around him -- who gains the respect of every team member, and who respects his boss, the Top Management of the organization and the customers' managers. A good team member consoles and reasons with other team members and RESOLVES complaints of other team members with patience, understanding and empathy. Each person needs to understand and is be committed to team objectives.

5. CARES FOR THE CUSTOMER

A desirable team member is polite and courteous to everyone including the customers. He or she has real CONCERN and thinks of both short term and long term benefits from customer's viewpoint. Good team members negotiate well with the customer and the company's top management to ensure less stress and strain for the team.

6. SELF-RELIANT, HAPPY, POSITIVE PERSON

You want a team member who is COMFORTABLE with himself -- who respects himself and will not become a sycophant (insincere compliment giver, trying to get into boss' good books insincerely). Good team members are positively charged, full of ENTHUSIASM, and love for their work. They put in an honest day's work and are willing to cheerfully put in a few extra hours whenever the need arises.

7. WELCOMES FEEDBACK

A valuable team member encourages feedback on his or her own behavior -- then takes the necessary CORRECTIVE and PREVENTIVE actions to ensure harmony, peace and joyful environment for project execution

8. FINGER ON THE PULSE

He has a finger on the pulse of the teams' feelings and concerns -- he helps to fix the conflicts, NEGOTIATES between conflicting parties, and negotiates a win/win ending. This type of team member is aware of what goes on around him, is able to sense danger and steer the team members onto happy solutions faster.

9. DELIVERING ON COMMITMENTS

You want a reliable, DEPENDABLE person who always keeps his promises and commitments. You need someone who informs both the customer and the boss well in advance when things go wrong -- who DISCUSSES the issues and concerns and sets new commitments

10. INTEGRITY, HONESTY AND TRUST

Whatever good qualities a person may possess, they are of no use to him or to anyone else when he does not have integrity of character. Integrity is being true to ONESELF, honesty is being true to OTHERS. He should be trust worthy and trust others with his eyes open. He is able to evaluate phonies and insincere people a mile away.