Being a team player is essential regardless of what your career is.

Although everyone in your work place may have their own goals and agendas, it may be impossible to accomplish everything on your own. One of my favorite quotes is, “We are not in-dependent of one another, we are inter-dependent of each other.”

As you grow in life, you will find out that the people you work with are like the basketball and football teams from your high school and college days; all players must work together in order to win.

Take a moment to decide which position you play. Are you the point guard, shooting guard, small forward, center or the power guard? Once you establish your role, it will be easier for you to develop your strengths and skills. Next, you must play your position in order to steadily rise to the top and become the MVP!

Here are some power moves to guide you on your road to success:

Treat every task the same:

Be the person in the office who is not afraid to do things that are not in your contract. For example, I have worked with a manager who was not afraid to roll up her sleeves up and clean up the building when the janitor was on vacation. This showed me that my manager did not believe that any task was below her and through her efforts, it helped the rest of the company forge the same mindset. While this situation is not typical, make sure you have this attitude at any work environment you are in. Put your pride to the side and be the person who doesn’t mind going the distance to get things done, no matter how small or big the task.

Go above and beyond:

Be the over achiever! Be efficient and detailed in everything that you do. Going above and beyond is doing more than the assignment that was given to you. Bring forth fresh and innovative ideas to the table and be sure to be extremely detailed oriented and provide superior results. Doing so makes you stand out from the crowd. You have two choices: You can either be part of the masses who think the average is acceptable, or you can break away and show off your stuff.

Ditch the clique:

We spend more time with our co-workers than our family. So, it is natural that strong friendships will occur. While this can bring teams together, it can also tear them apart. Overall, cliques divide the office and bring more drama to the daily grind. Instead, be the person who gets along with everyone in the office. This can hinder your chances of moving up because your superiors will identify you by whom you associate yourself with. Limiting your interaction in the workplace to a few select people at the expense of others, can be extremely destructive to your professional image and have a career-limiting effect.

Keep your eye on the prize:

Stay focused! Whatever situations that you are faced with, don’t forget what you are working toward. This will help you eliminate and avoid negative hindrances that may come your way. Use problems as platforms to keep pursuing your dreams. Always set goals for yourself and for your team, so you can map out a way to achieve them. With goals, you have something to work toward, something you can accomplish. Accomplishing that goal or even taking a small step toward that goal will offer a euphoric feeling of success like no other.

Your road to success is a journey that you can’t achieve alone. Be the team player in your career endeavors and watch yourself and your team move up the ladder in no time!