How to Shine as a Team Player
“If you take care of your people, the rest will take care of itself.” — Alden Nussbaum
People are what make work meaningful. God created us to live in relationship, not isolation, and the quality of our everyday interactions can make or break a workday. If we want a great environment, it starts with becoming someone you want to work with.
Nussbaum is people‑centric because people are central to how God designed the world. He created us to connect, encourage, and build each other up. Think about your own workday, are the people around you lifting you up or tearing you down? The environment we all want begins with the way we each choose to treat those we interact with daily.
But as much as we were created for community, relationships aren’t always easy. Because of our own brokenness, we often struggle to love well or respond with patience. That’s why the most important skills we can develop aren’t just technical skills, they’re the skills of loving others. There’s nothing soft about soft skills.
At Nussbaum, we believe these relational skills are so essential that we’ve identified four core actions that shape healthy relational culture. The Core 4: Actions That Impact. Why? Because the goal comes back to relationships—to create a positive impact with others. These actions give us a vision of what it means to practice a purpose‑driven attitude:
- Follow through — do what you say and go the extra mile.
- See the person — make eye contact.
- Listen actively — seek to understand.
- Speak with care — communicate truth with kindness.
From where do we get the power and strength to love people, especially those at odds with us? The root is Jesus Christ. Christ provides the example for love. “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
Jesus chose to be a servant. Let’s learn to model this example by his strength.
To top it off, here are some things you could do today to create a positive impact with those around you.
Practical ways to be a team player
- Write a sincere note of appreciation. This act can be a nice surprise for those around you. Many times we forget about all the positive ways we have impacted others.
- Get to know your coworkers on a more personal level. Ask them about their weekend and show genuine interest.
- Bring treats for your coworkers. This one goes without describing. Who doesn’t like snacks?!
- Random act of kindness – finish your tasks early? Ask a coworker how you can help them!
- Let small mess-ups roll off your shoulders. You’re not perfect and neither are your coworkers. Don’t take it personal when they make a mistake. If it’s small, just let it ‘roll off your shoulders’ and show them some grace.
- See a fellow driver struggling to back into a dock? Offer to help guide them in or with friendly advice (drivers only 😉)
As we learn to serve like Jesus, we’ll become someone people love working with.
