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Working with a Team
3:28Working with teams - in companies and even for freelancers - has become part of everyday work experiences, so it's important to understand the keys to being productive and effective with them.
Working on websites and apps can be a very solitary work situation.
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For many of you, it's easier just to do things on your own. There's nobody you have to deal with, nobody you have to wait for.
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You can call the shots, you can control the pace of your work.
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But working with teams and companies and even for freelancers has become part of many work experiences,
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so it's important to understand the keys to being productive and effective with a team.
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Teams do not work if expectations are unclear.
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With the project on the line, team members must be organized and focused on specific tasks with specific timelines in place.
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Understanding the expectations others have for you helps define your priorities and manage your time and deliverables.
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Without this understanding, you may be working on pieces of your project that the team doesn't need yet,
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or you might be going in a different direction than everyone else.
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Members of teams often share files, documents, and other assets to support project deliverables.
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Ensuring that you have access to the latest data means getting on board with the tools and the platforms that the team is using.
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In certain situations, you'll find everything in one place.
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In others, you may have to check out four or five different collaborative tools just to see what's going on.
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Remain flexible but stay current.
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With each project, make sure you know where the latest information documents are and you'll always remain on schedule.
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Related to this, communication between team members is essential.
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We all know how one thing can mess up our projects and our time tables. The effects can be multiplied when teams are involved,
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even more so if these issues are not communicated.
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Make sure you regularly share your progress and share any issues you encounter along the way.
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Don't be afraid of sharing issues that you face. Be transparent.
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The more information the team members have, the better the team's chances are at solving these problems together.
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But, beyond the work, beyond the milestones, the deliverables,
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understand that working with a team means interacting with other people.
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Whether those team members are higher ups, contractors, interns, or anyone else, they are people too,
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so respect their time. Treat them like professionals.
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You don't have to know their life story or understand why they do the things the way that they do.
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Recognize that if they're on your team, they have responsibilities just like you.
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And, just like you, they're going to face problems. They're going to make mistakes, and they're going to need help.
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Treat them like you would want to be treated, with respect and understanding.
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You are working towards a common goal, so support them and they will support you.
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So, if you can work well with a team, how does this benefit you?
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People will want to work with you, they'll want to collaborate,
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and they'll want to know that they can get results and they can do that with you.
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This will lead to more opportunities.
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So, whether you're leading the team or one of many collaborators,
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understanding how to communicate and deal with others
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while treating them with respect will always benefit the team and the project.
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