When one attends college, the student decides a field of study and maybe joins a club or two. When joining the Army, a soldier does so to start a career, earn a college fund, or just buy time to figure out life. These people think in terms of an established institution and the resources it provides. The motivation is “what’s in it for me?” But the team itself has much more of a human element than that of the organization.

There is stability in being part of a team, providing the individuals are all pulling their own weight. So, it should be a fair question for members of a functioning organization to ask “what have you done for me lately?” Membership into the group is predicated on each member being devoted to that team. Our devotion goes far beyond vocation alone.

Each person is to be accountable to the team. This goes to individual responsibility. Waiting for management to make corrections is not proactive and not being an effective part of the whole. Our individual perspective needs to be that of “what will the organization get from us?”

Let’s discuss what some of these obligations are:

Get On Board
The first obligation is a willingness to change. When onboarding for a similar job with a new company, we many times assume the process and responsibilities are the same as the employer we just left. Though this is a rational conclusion, it is not always the case. The work might be very different from what we are used to. It is up to us to figure out the new procedures and implement them.

Get Present
We may dream of the future or live in the past, but the only reality is the here and now. However, we are easily knocked out of the present tense. An earlier argument with a family member, or thoughts of where we will meet up with friends this weekend are compelling, but not where we are at the moment. Lashing out at a colleague because your 2-year-old was especially terrible that morning does not create esprit de corps.

Get Skilled
Many employers offer additional training to assist their people conduct the work. It is important to stay abreast of new procedures, techniques, and even trends, whether training is offered or not. If one is not current with the latest ideas in marketing, that person or firm is not in marketing at all.

Get Involved
Some people are introverts. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. But there is a need to engage with the other members of the team from time to time. This necessity is more than just the occasional required business meeting.

People are social. They want to know they are not alone. They like the idea of reaching out to someone else should they need help. But you will probably need their help one day as well, so overcome any urge to create your personal silo.

Get Help
Though it may sound like self-serving than an obligation to the team, it is not. If you need help, get help. Be prepared to offer it as well. This is how healthy teams function. People are less impressed with your independence than accomplishing the mission. Raise your hand and stop slowing down everyone else.

Get Positive
Attitudes are contagious, especially when working in close proximity. Often, those mindsets spill over the cubicle wall and into the minds of our neighbors. We rely on management to set the tone of our workplace, whether we realize it or not. If that leadership is absent, we look to others for cues on our mental points of view.

This is all the more reason to carry the right frame of mind with you. But this can be a definite challenge around the wrong co-workers. You have to be conscious of who you socialize with, because their beliefs will affect yours.