When I worked in corporate America, I learned quickly that sometimes you have to “take one for the team” for the good of the organization. In my case, “the team” was a project team.
This project assignment isn’t ideal for what you want to do with your career, but we really need you to do it anyway.
If you take this project now, I’ll make sure to get you a better role on the next project.
Yes, it is grunt work, but you just have to do the work for now.
This project will give you an opportunity to improve your technical skills. After all, you need to be more well-rounded to move up in the organization.
The role might not be great, but you’ll be working with [insert name of executive]
I could continue to list the excuses I heard, but they don’t really matter anymore. Marcus Buckingham spoke yesterday about some of the biggest myths. One of the biggest myths he dissected was “Take one for the team”
The team needs you to use your strengths all the time.
When you volunteer to do what you do best, the team is better. Team performance is stronger. The team is more productive.
I don’t have to put myself aside for the team….
yes however you also put yourself at risk for losing your job if you come across as not a team player. So, unfortunately, there are times you need to take one for the team regardless.
I used to agree with you. Please understand that what I’m advocating is for you to identify how you can help your team. I’m suggesting that you communicate how you can be MORE VALUABLE to your employer.
Are you being a team player if you aren’t performing as well as you could?
If an activity bores you or you aren’t as good at it as someone else, does it truly help the team for you to continue to do that activity?
You aren’t in an either/or situation by talking about how to use your strengths at work. It isn’t that you either do or you don’t use your strengths.
It definitely takes time, effort, and communication from everyone involved to ensure that people are working to their strengths.
Isn’t the idea of people adding value to their organization because they spend most of their days using their strengths worth exploring?