[email protected] posted on January 14, 2020 16:14
You Are the Team: 6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great.
Review by Dr. Jamie Heck, Director of Academic Affairs, University of Cincinnati, [email protected]
As a member of a team, the value and significance of the growth of individual team members is often overlooked. Throughout You Are the Team: 6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great, Rogers discusses the six principles (“the 6 B’s”) of becoming a great teammate. These principles include: be selfless, be trustworthy, be humble, be positive, be respectful, and be great. Rogers stresses that a great team is comprised of great teammates. Individuals can only control their own personal level of commitment to a team. Rogers acknowledges, “If you want a team of selfless, trustworthy, humble, positive, respectful, and great teammates, then be selfless, trustworthy, humble, positive, respectful, and great yourself. Don’t wait for your leader or other teammates to make it happen. YOU make it happen” (p. 4). As a person focuses on their growth, as an individual and as a teammate, others will take notice. In turn, they will serve as a source of inspiration and motivation through their leadership, which will strengthen the overall team.
As professionals within the academic advising community, we participate within multiple teams, including the role as a teammate in an office or department and as a colleague within the broader community within your respective institution. In addition, the advising relationship that exists between a faculty or professional academic advisor and a student is another example of a team. In order for the advising relationship between an advisor and advisee to be successful, it is essential that both parties reflect on how they can continue to grow individually, which will have a positive impact on the team. You Are the Team: 6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great provides a framework for continued growth as a teammate as well as the overall team. Rogers states, “You will only reach your full potential by purposely choosing to do the hard things, even when you don’t feel like it-that’s called discipline” (p. 96). This framework is definitely transferrable to higher education. Regardless of your title and role within your individual department, your contributions as a teammate are invaluable to the overall success of the team. In many situations, success is not easily achievable. Rogers stresses that the success of a team is a direct result of all team members working together and handling their responsibilities to their fullest potential.
The principles shared within You Are the Team: 6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great embody NACADA’s Core Values (NACADA, 2017a) and Core Competencies (NACADA, 2017b). There are noticeable similarities between the principles of a great teammate and NACADA’s Core Values. A tremendous amount of growth could be achieved by embracing and emulating the principles of a great teammate and the core values of an academic advising professional.
You Are the Team: 6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great is a quick read. Rogers serves as a knowledgeable and insightful storyteller. The stories shared provide context to the principles that will guide individuals in their journey to grow as a team member. The principles discussed were presented in a concise and relatable manner. Readers are left feeling empowered and motivated to achieve greatness as a teammate through hard work and discipline. Rogers invokes a sense of commitment to the team and a call to action of individual teammates. This book is strongly recommended for persons seeking to positively enhance their performance as a teammate, subsequently strengthening the overall team to which they serve.
References:
NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. (2017). NACADA core values of academic advising. Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Pillars/CoreValues.aspx
NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. (2017). NACADA academic advising core competencies model. Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Pillars/CoreCompetencies.aspx
You Are the Team: 6 Simple Ways Teammates Can Go from Good to Great. (2017). Michael G. Rogers. Scotts Valley, California: CreateSpace Publishing. 127 pp. Price $14.95. 978-1546770855, and https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1546770852/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1546770852&linkCode=as2&tag=secotraiandle-20&linkId=526930d82749104e382264db6a8dc1f6 .